Savannah Pope channels her theatrical and vulnerable side in “Terrible Thing,” a song that delves into the paradox of love: so deeply desired, yet impossible to sustain. With lush arrangements and an emotional depth reminiscent of Lorde, Leonard Cohen, Sofia Isella, and Muse, the track unfolds like a modern opera exploring the many layers of desire.
“Terrible Thing” is part of her upcoming EP, currently in production, where Pope explores themes of identity, repression, and survival through cinematic storytelling and rich instrumentation.
“This song is personal, a fever dream I poured every ounce of artfulness into. When Melancholic Goddess found so many ears, I knew I had to keep building that haunted world. Terrible Thing is its next chapter: baroque pop fire, aching strings, secrets you can dance to,” Savannah assures.
Partly inspired by her travels through Spain and a renewed connection with flamenco, the song evokes the bittersweet feeling of receiving the love you’ve always longed for but can’t fully embrace.
Savannah’s artistic evolution began with “Pandemonium,” her most acclaimed project to date, which paved the way for a deeper exploration of vulnerability and the human condition.
She learned to play guitar in a reform school, studied painting in Barcelona, and after leaving art school in Brooklyn, returned to Los Angeles feeling adrift, until an open mic night changed everything.
“I felt a strange urge in the pit of my stomach,” she says. “I borrowed someone’s guitar and just went for it. The response was electric. I was hooked.” Since then, her powerful voice and sense of drama have made her a magnetic presence in the Los Angeles underground scene.
In “Terrible Thing” and the rest of the EP, including “Panopticon,” Savannah fuses influences from Florence + The Machine, Lana Del Rey, and Bowie, working with producers Joshua Sadlier-Brown and All Made Up. Each session, she says, feels like an act of emotional alchemy.
Beyond music, Savannah designs her own costumes, directs her music videos, and crafts every visual element of her releases, garnering millions of views online with works like “Melancholic Goddess.”
She is deeply engaged with social causes, a defender of immigrant and women’s rights, and a devoted admirer of cinema and crossword puzzles. Her work, intensely personal, reflects the wounds we carry and the truths we often keep hidden. “I want people to embrace the parts of themselves they’ve been taught to hide,” she says. “And to stop demanding that others do the same.”
Savannah Pope is currently touring with Andy Bell (Erasure), with shows across the United States and Canada, including stops in Nashville, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Vancouver, among many others. The tour kicked off on October 3rd in Nashville and will conclude on December 13th at The Fonda Theater in Los Angeles.
