• News

• All

Sep 02, 2020 Michi By Caleb Campbell Photography by Haley Appell

Michelle Guerrero, aka Michi, made her debut in the summer of 2019 with the hazy grooves of “Catch a Feeling.” The former member of indie rock band Private Island followed that solo debut with another excellent cut in the lovesick summer pop of “Still Feel U.” Of course, these tracks came in a vastly different setting than the summer of 2020. Summer nights soundtracked by the smooth bass grooves Michi delivered on her debut singles can sometimes feel like a memory of the pre-COVID past.

Her latest track “Escondida,” premiering with Under the Radar, is a similarly effortless melding of alt pop and R&B as her seductive March track “Night Moves.” However, “Escondida” fittingly leans into a meditative tone born from quarantine. The lush keys, chilly percussion, and hypnotic vocal hook create a sense of solitude but not necessarily loneliness. Michi’s vocals sound ever sweet and warm as she explores the swirl of emotions drawn from isolation. At times, the solitude conjures painful memories—“Had it with my secrets/Keep me up when I’m sleepless/Every night I am thinking on my regrets.” However, the track largely tributes finding peace in being alone—“In my room my oasis/Only place that erases my frustrations.” The resulting track is an intimate portrayal of the internal conflicts excavated in solitude. The accompanying video provides an additional burst of colorful beauty as illustrator Maria Medem’s animations depict Michi’s thriving inner life.

Guerra describes the inspiration behind the track, stating, “The value of solitude even outside these testing times of quarantine are what pushed me to bring ‘Escondida’ out of hiding. I’ve always leaned on the company of others to fill a void or distract myself, but it wasn’t until these last two years and the start of my project that I felt connected to being alone, even if with my thoughts, regrets, memories both good and bad. ‘Escondida’ is my love song to the haven I’ve found in mentally and emotionally being alone.”

Michi’s newest work is a lovely expression of personal growth in isolation and another addition to the growing collection of stellar singles from the rising artist. Check out the song and video below.

Support Under the Radar on Patreon.