Words By: Jason Russo

Rising alt-pop powerhouse Cayley Spivey recently released her powerful third single “Cross The Line.”  The track features incredibly spacious production with gorgeously layered vocals and powerful lyrics.  “Cross The Line” fixates on the undetermined future of a relationship where both parties feel unsure of where they stand with one another.  Produced by Eli Strobeck and Fil Thorpe-Evans of Prlbm Child and World’s First Cinema acclaim, “Cross The Line” will be an instant hit for fans of other bedroom pop acts like beabadoobee and Clairo and is an incredibly promising next release for Cayley Spivey.

The track begins sparsely, with singularly plucked and distorted string sounds reverberating through the ambience of the track.  Once Cayley’s cool and collected vocals kick in, she leads us through important moments in her relationship that turned sour like getting matching tattoos only to go home alone.  She struggles with defining her relationship in the chorus, singing, “It’s hard for me to tell how you feel?  Can we turn this into something real?” She echoes these feelings of distance and uncertainty through the next verse and chorus, ultimately acknowledging that while both of them clearly have feelings for each other, the have both said things that crossed a line which makes her unsure of the direction of their pairing.

These confusing feelings in the early stages of a relationship are something universally experienced by listeners across the globe and are especially intense in queer relationships.  Cayley is an out and proud LGBTQ+ artist from a conservative state, so the opportunity for her to express her sexuality through her music and her art is something she is incredibly passionate about.  “‘Cross The Line’s’ music video is the first time I got to honestly and authentically express my sexuality”, says Cayley. “In previous music videos with my band Small Talks I was afraid of what people would say, but after lots of internal work I came to the conclusion that I want to be known for who I actually am, not for what I think would cause the least amount of controversy. [“Cross The Line”] is supposed to be a rollercoaster of emotions reflecting the intensity of a relationship that has its own struggles and the struggles of society’s or close friends/family’s judgement.”

The video for “Cross The Line” proudly showcases a queer relationship without judgement.  It displays powerful moments of intimacy as normal and beautiful pieces of a relationship like any other.  Water and blue lighting are featured heavily, emphasizing feelings of separation and sadness within the relationship, but these are coupled with warmer shots of a couple in love.

Cayley Spivey is no newcomer to the music industry.  Her previous project, Small Talks, garnered over a million streams on Spotify.  While Small Talks found Cayley featuring a rock inspired pop sound, her new solo career is full bedroom pop, with gorgeously intimate and layered tracks that mark a new chapter for her.  She has a large and dedicated following on social media across TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram which has allowed her to connect directly with her fanbase.  She is a fierce advocate for authenticity and being true to yourself while spreading awareness of mental health and LGBTQ+ equality.  Her previous singles, “SFU” and “Not Over You Yet” further develop Cayley’s sound and unique production style within the bedroom pop aesthetic.  Stay tuned for much more to come from Cayley Spivey!

INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | FACEBOOK