Charlotte Sands’ emergence in the music industry since 2018 is nothing to scoff at. The fully independent artist—who has charted in the U.S. Top 40 for more than 15 weeks and won ‘Best Breakthrough Album’ at the Heavy Music Awards in 2023—has pushed her own agenda by relentlessly believing in herself, and almost constantly touring. She’s shared stages with My Chemical Romance, 5 Seconds of Summer, YUNGBLUD, and others: a huge feat for an artist as nascent as she was just a few years ago.
On her new album, Satellite, Charlotte continues to demonstrate to the industry, and her peers, the actualized artist she is. As a millennial, I couldn’t ignore how songs like “Satellite,” “one eye open,” and “HUSH” were immediately reminiscent of Nu-Metal and pop-punk groups like Evanescence and Paramore: two bands in the pop punk scene whose legacies are both undeniable and notably female-fronted. But Charlotte does exactly what an artist is supposed to. She cites her inspiration and uses them to inform her sound, but what comes out is entirely her own.
Charlotte is especially adept at balancing maximalist production while showcasing her natural songwriting abilities. Let’s talk about one of my favorite tracks, “neckdeep,” an amusement park of angst that stays consistent with the pop-punk instrumentals, while also merging with a more electronic production. The battlecry of the song, “Why would you tell me you’re neckdeep when you’re really one foot out,” so uniquely laments just how disappointing it is when the person you’re dating isn’t completely honest about how they’re feeling.
But the album isn’t just baroque anthems, although it would be just as impressive if it were. Charlotte knows when to rest the game and trade in the sound for something more delicate. On “water me down” and “Sunday,” songs of two deeply contrasting emotions, she does just that.
“water me down” takes us through the experience of seeing yourself diluted by an insecure partner and recognizing the just how unsustainable that dynamic can be. While “Sunday,” the last song on the album, is a perfect closer. A breezy ballad about how the person you’re with can bring the best out of you. While Charlotte has been outspoken about her influences, I’m so excited to see the artists that she no doubt is already influencing for years to come.
Satellite is out now and Sands will be touring with Simple Plan in the UK/EU this fall.
Words by Ilana Michelle Rubin for Staged Haze
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