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Dec 03, 2024 By Caleb Campbell

Philadelphia singer/songwriter Sophie Coran has crafted a decidedly vintage blend of jazz, indie pop, and R&B, immersing her sound in Old Hollywood glamor, smokey lounge balladry, and layered symphonic pop arrangements. It is a style she has previously described as “noir & b,” debuting with her 2021 full-length album, S P A C E. Since then, she has been busy touring with artists like Jade Bird, Lisa Loeb, Pom Pom Squad, and Margaret Glaspy, all while writing and recording her upcoming sophomore record.

Earlier this year, she returned with the forthcoming album’s first two singles, “love’s so insane,” and “ghost,” and today she’s back with another new track, “i didn’t know,” premiering with Under the Radar.

In contrast to the simmering atmosphere of her previous singles, “i didn’t know” crackles with vibrant energy, bringing a newfound restlessness to Coran’s orchestral confessions. The track is driven by a wild uptempo rush of drums which Coran shades with a glassy descending piano line and swelling string accents. Coran blends the disparate tones into a work of magnetic contrasts, drawing out notes of nostalgia and heartache while singing above a dizzying blur of instrumentation. Lyrically, the track pulls from a similarly chaotic time in Coran’s life, with Coran recalling the uncertainty, excitement, and sorrow that came alongside her formative years in New York after graduating music school: “Something ‘bout the way the air feels now / My old leather coat / The last time we spoke / I didn’t know how good I had it / Didn’t know at the time what it would mean / I didn’t think too much about it / Or how it changed me.”

Coran explains of the track, “‘i didn’t know’ is so special to me. The concept came to mind after I heard that a college friend had passed away, and the song just poured out of me. I have found that my best songs happen when I don’t overthink and simply follow my feelings. If I could pinpoint the moment I fell down the rabbit hole revisiting this period of my life, it would be with this song. Even though it was a chaotic headfuck, I’m grateful that it led me to create this next chapter of music.

When I showed the song to my band, the sound naturally evolved into a more energetic, indie-leaning arrangement. My drummer, Arjun Dube, started playing an uptempo groove and the song really came alive. I have the tendency to pair sad songs with slower tempos, but ‘i didn’t know’ is a sad song with an uptempo arrangement, which is a first for me.”

Check out the song and accompanying lyric video below, directed by Jasia Ka. “i didn’t know” is out everywhere tomorrow, December 4th.