ALYA | Puppet Strings

Alya’s “Puppet Strings” Is A Haunting Braid Of Pop & Darkness

LA-based artist Alya plays with our heartstrings by taking us into the deep psychological layers of emotional manipulation with her hauntingly gorgeous visuals for “Puppet Strings.”

Built on taut and dirge-like production, the track swings between ghostly pop and psychedelia where she hovers closely around a dreamy state. The rustling synths and gritty riffage cast a hypnotic, harrowing effect that feels paranormal. Drifting between glass-cutting and fraying vocals, Alya dissects the helplessness and bewitching way someone can exercise control over us. “With puppet strings, I am tied up with you” she chants.

Check out the stunning visuals below:

“Puppet Strings” — Official Music Video

“Puppet Strings” opens with baroque classical strings flowing into an indie-pop vibe. Brightly streaming colors flow overhead, as burbling synths hold down the middle, and a syncopated rhythm cements the foundation. The music builds, assuming multiple sonic layers shimmering with surging energy. It’s cliché to say so, but it’s a potently beautiful song, ethereal and brawny at the same time. Alya’s voice is mesmerizing, reminding me of the best qualities of both Cyndi Lauper and Dolores O’Riordan — penetrating yet graciously melodic. It’s a magnificent voice, lush with pristine timbres.

Alya has been making buzz across in the indie pop scene with her previous single “Animals,” which was playlisted across various radio stations.

With two versions of her debut album (one in English, the other primarily in Japanese) just around the corner, Alya’s sound has been likened to Bjork-meets-Massive Attack, a sound blending pop, Japanese folk, trip-hop, electronica, surf rock, jazz, and classical music. It’s a multifarious sound, misty and polished, elusively familiar yet simultaneously sui generis.