Meet Betty Who - America's Newest Australian Pop Star
Australian pop music is no joke. Just in the past couple of years, the country from down under has given us the likes of Gotye and Sia, as well as acts that are taking over the world like Iggy Azalea and 5 Seconds of Summer. However, there's one Australian singer that is ready to rise above the rest: Betty Who.
Betty Who, real name Jessica Anne Newham, emerged onto the pop scene in 2012 with the release of her debut single, ‘Somebody Loves You.’ Written with producer Peter Thomas, whom she met while studying at Berklee College in Boston, the track quickly gained attention online and eventually led to Betty Who's first EP, The Movement. Released in mid-2013, the four song collection boasted a huge 80's pop sound in tracks like 'You're in Love' and 'Right Here,' and it easily became one of the best EPs of the year.
More: Listen to Betty Who’s single, ‘Somebody Loves You’
Naturally, much like 'Somebody Loves You,' the EP garnered a ton of attention. Time Magazine called Betty Who one of the artists to watch out for, and Elle Magazine called her your next pop obsession. They weren't the only ones who felt that way. In September 2013, Betty Who signed with RCA Records to release a full-length in 2014. Before the full-length though, RCA tested the waters with another Betty EP by the name of Slow Dancing, and it shot to number one on the iTunes Pop charts. Slow Dancing has cuts like the dancey ‘Giving Me Away’ and the slower ballad, ‘Silas,’ but most importantly, it gave us a preview into what her upcoming full-length would be like when it gets released this fall.
Next page: Info on Betty Who’s debut album
Titled Take Me When You Go, the album primarily contains already released songs, like The Movement’s ‘Somebody Loves You’ and ‘High Society,’ as well as Slow Dancing’s ‘Heartbreak Dream’ and ‘Alone Again.’ It does have its fair share of newer songs though, and ‘Runaways’ highlights what we can expect from the newer batch of tunes. Filled with synth, her familiar 80’s feel, and a soaring chorus, ‘Runaways’ is one of the clearest reasons why Betty Who will be headlining arenas in no time.
More: Watch Betty Who’s music video for ‘Heartbreak Dream’
Now, it’s a pretty bold prediction, but the songs just back it up too perfectly. ‘High Society’ is a mindnumbingly catchy with an amazing sing-a-long hook, and ‘Somebody Loves You’ just so happened to be the center of an adorable flash mob marriage proposal video.The video, which can be found on YouTube, was posted last year and currently has over 12 million views. No big deal. Touring wise, Betty Who will be embarking on her first ever headlining tour dubbed the “High Society Tour” in the month of October before joining Katy Perry for the Australian leg of her “Prismatic World Tour” in November.
Clearly, Betty Who’s future is looking pretty bright, but will her album live up to the hype? One of the coolest things about her is that the majority of her tracks are only written by her and Peter Thomas, so she isn’t relying on a team of songwriters to make her songs, or Max Martin to turn her into pop gold - she does it all on her own. Simply put, Who’s got a flare to her that you won’t find in other pop stars, but she wouldn’t mind sharing the spotlight with them. “I want it all. I want the Pepsi endorsement. I want the arena shows. I want Times Square,” she told Elle Magazine last year. Nothing is more promising than an artist who admits they want the world, and when Take Me When You Go drops on October 7, it’ll only be another step toward getting it.