Katie Belle leans into the ache of hindsight with her new single ‘Cigarette’, crafting a track that’s as delicate as it is emotionally loaded. Despite its introspective weight, there’s an ease in its delivery that makes it linger like perfume on a faded T-shirt.
Produced by longtime collaborator Fabio Campedelli in his Los Angeles studio, ‘Cigarette’ is a glowing addition to Belle’s growing catalogue. The two have clearly found a rhythm in their creative partnership, and it shows. From the first soft beat to the final sigh, the production sets a mood that’s at once modern and timeless, like an echo from a relationship you thought you’d moved past.
Belle’s voice, as always, is the centrepiece. There’s something quietly captivating in the way she navigates the emotional terrain here. She doesn’t wallow; she remembers. There’s a power in that restraint, a maturity in how she frames romantic detritus not as regret, but as part of the journey.
Lyrically, ‘Cigarette’ unfolds like a journal entry revisited years later, filled with flickers of heat, sparks of what once was, and the cool realisation that some flames don’t burn, they just haunt. It’s not about rekindling something; it’s about honouring what was, without letting it consume what’s next. That balance between nostalgia and self-awareness is what gives the song its quiet strength.
Musically, the track floats between singer-songwriter intimacy and polished indie-pop shimmer, with just enough atmosphere to feel immersive.
‘Cigarette’ is a song that meets you where you are, whether you’re looking back, letting go, or just learning how to sit with your own story. As a glimpse into Belle’s evolving artistry, and a preview of her upcoming ‘People Pleaser’ project, it’s a graceful step forward, wrapped in smoke and sentiment.
