photos / Abby Mueller
Not all debut albums know exactly what they want to say, but “IT’S NOT REAL” by Ella Red is a clear exception. At just 22 years old, she presents a record that treats identity as something mutable and fragile, while also engaging with themes of death, life, religion, and, inevitably, love.
The album opens with “Parasite” and a disarming image. “I can see my corpse in reflections,” she says. The music is stripped back to a bare piano and a voice that dares to name finitude from the very first minute. That single line feels like a compass for the entire project, songs born from one sentence, spoken with raw honesty and an impulse to call things by their name.
“We’re All Gonna Die” works as a wake-up call, a reminder that we will all leave this place sooner or later. We don’t know when, but we know it will happen. Until then, there is life to be lived. The song becomes a sober celebration of the ephemeral, delivered without irony and grounded in a strong sense of reality.
With “Ball and Chain,” a pre-release single, the artist leans into confident guitars and an insistent rhythmic pulse. The track showcases Ella’s vocal range and, at the same time, opens a direct window into her inner world.
On “He Asked For It,” Ella transforms female rage into an act of linguistic reclamation. Without leaning on victimhood or overt slogans, the song unfolds as a narrative that reverses the weight of words historically used against women.
“Religion” intelligently navigates the line between devotion and blasphemy, drawing on a lyrical vulnerability that recalls the confessional tradition of contemporary folk-pop. Meanwhile, “Party Animal” plays with its own title, subverting expectations to reveal another side of excess and escapism.
“IT’S NOT REAL” is a record in which Ella is unafraid to experiment. “Predator,” set in a 6/8 time signature, captures the tension of the chase with almost physical precision, while “Funeral” builds gothic imagery, such as ghosts and catacombs, as a metaphor for closure and release.
Her relationship with music, shaped since childhood through piano, guitar, and cello, is driven by curiosity and a natural pull toward experimentation, as well as big questions that often resist easy answers. Influences ranging from Lady Gaga to Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo feel filtered rather than imitated. Even in her most delicate moments, Ella’s lyrics retain a sharp precision.
“IT’S NOT REAL” could outlive its creator because it speaks to something larger than herself, the human need to tell stories and reach others across time. Ella Red presents herself as a restless traveler, healing through creation and inviting us along. And if everything sounds too intense, too ambitious, too raw… don’t worry. It’s not real.
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