Australian pop singer Betty Who (born Jessica Newham) broke out last year with her debut EP The Movement, a collection of four sparkling, relentlessly catchy cuts that examined love’s complicated magic. The EP was anchored by the joyous anthem “Somebody Loves You,” which burst onto the charts when it soundtracked an adorable, hyper-popular Home Depot marriage proposal. Now signed to RCA, Who’s getting ready to release her second EP, Slow Dancing, on April 8; “Heartbreak Dream,” which premiered today at SPIN, is its first single, and it’s a monster.
There’s a remarkable density and confidence to “Heartbreak Dream”: Who applies layers and layers of hooks like a cake decorator with a heavy fondant hand, but trusts in her voice to soar above the fray. In a remarkable show of personality, it does: she’s tender and tough in equal measure, balancing defiance and reflection on a relationship that’s souring. It’s tough to draw complex situations with nuance and depth over the course of a four minute pop song, but Who makes it look easy with “Heartbreak Dream” — this is another strong effort from a star in the making.