Following a much talked-about Australian Idol audition, Ballarat singer Aaliyah Bise carves a redemption arc on her ascendent debut single Sorry.
For reality TV fans, the name Aaliyah Bise might seem familiar. This year, the Ballarat singer appeared on the most recent season of Australian Idol, a daunting feat for any musician — but especially for one whose audition would go on to become viral in all the wrong ways. And while her lacklustre performance might not have impressed the Idol panel (who is Kyle Sandilands to judge?), the singer has proved the country wrong with her new single Sorry.
Taking the viral audition — which was brutally used by Channel 7 for multiple ads — in her stride, Bise took to TikTok to showcase her vocal chops, amassing millions of views and demonstrating a courage that has since seeped into her debut release. A guitar-driven anthem for self-love, Sorry rightfully forefronts Bise’s powerhouse vocals, which give voice to the singer’s exploration of doubt, liberation and confidence in the face of adversity.
Speaking of the track’s meaning in a press statement, Bise described Sorry as a message to her younger self — showcasing a level of maturity and introspection usually reserved for a musician ten years her senior. “I’m taking myself out of the equation,” Bise sings on the chorus atop sparse piano keys, “freeing you from all our demons.” Bise elaborated on this message to Happy Mag: “[The song is] an apology to myself.”
“In writing [Sorry] I encapsulated the journey I’ve been on for the last ten years of my life, it will still apply and be relevant to me in the next ten years and so on,” Bise said. While it’s easy to be entranced by Bise’s vocals, the song’s production is equally impressive, with groovy electric guitar breaks and keyboard flairs. It’s the sort of pop-rock track you might hear from Lizzy McAlpine, and yet — with its intimate lyricism — Sorry is wholly Aaliyah.
Sorry is expected to form part of the tracklist of Bise’s upcoming debut EP, which she plans to release sometime this year. In the meantime, you can listen to the singer’s debut single Sorry above, and keep an eye out for her future projects here.
