UK Artist Phildel Takes a Stand on New Ethereal Single, “Oh Love”
Photo Courtesy of Phildel
UK singer songwriter Phildel has released a hauntingly crafted single “Oh Love” prior to her highly anticipated album Wave Your Flags. Already having a dedicated fan base, Phildel previously garnered listeners with her 2013 debut album The Disappearance of a Girl, a personal narrative of childhood abuse and the loss of her family.
Consisting of a surprising mix of soft piano and layered electronic melodies, Phildel’s new single “Oh Love” picks up where she left off at the end of The Disappearance of a Girl. Though the upcoming album has a new theme, the sound is still within a familiar realm with her uniquely soft yet powerful voice.
She describes Wave Your Flags as a work transitioning through cycles of loss and renewal. “Oh Love” in particular, Phildel explains, is about “the power of love to give us the resilience we need to deal with the most difficult things life throws our way.” Adding another layer to the concept, the music video’s theme explores toxic masculinity and the negative effects it has on men and society.
“Isolation becomes a massive part of the problem as men feel unable to be their authentic emotional selves around others. We need to work hard to turn around this damaging, emotionally repressive messaging and show that men expressing their authentic feelings is absolutely welcome, valid, and represents a healthy way forward for the world,” she says.
Phildel describes Wave Your Flags as the story of a fracture and the self repair that follows. This new song and album not only pick up musically where Phildel left off, but also continues a story. Where The Disappearance of a Girl was about Phildel’s personal escapist fantasies that sustained her throughout her abusive childhood, Wave Your Flags continues the narrative as she is now. She has come out of her past, but much work is still to be done, especially emotionally. The songs on Phildel’s forthcoming album guide her personal transformations which are carefully crafted not just for her own personal growth, but also to share with her listeners.
“No matter what has happened to me, I don’t need anyone to say that they witnessed what I went through— I am actually enough of a witness on my own,” she says. “Sometimes it is beyond our power to have legal justice happen, and somehow we need to be able to resolve that within ourselves. For me, I had done everything within my power to gain justice. Now going forward, I’m okay.”
Phildel touts millions of listens on Spotify, her music featured in major commercials for brands like Apple and Expedia, yet her name has remained relatively under the radar from mainstream circles.
Listen to “Oh Love” on all major streaming platforms, and be sure to pick up Wave Your Flags on May 17th.
