Laurel Arnell-Cullen, the self-proclaimed “last sweetheart of London,” brings her own flavor of darkly sweet pop music to the scene. At the young age of 19, Laurel has already released three acclaimed singles, all of which she wrote and produced herself. Constant comparisons have gained her the title of Britain’s answer to Lana Del Rey, and the similarities are definitely there. However, she succeeds in differentiating herself with a sense of youthful resistance apparent in her songs. With full-length album plans in her near future, this sweet Brit has only begun to show what she has to offer.
Laurel’s most recent single, “Firebreather,” brings her passionate, defiant nature to the forefront, proclaiming “No, it’s too much, burn my sun / up in flames we go you fire breather.” This powerful statement is backed with a heavy beat and sparse instrumentation, and Laurel’s remarkably strong voice rises over everything, driving home the message that she won’t easily be defeated. Certainly, with such an impressive start to her career, one can expect that she will stick around.