She’s no stranger to finding success on her own, but Nashville-based singer-songwriter Kesley Bou is looking to separate herself from her influencer days and speak her truth through songs like her latest single, “the end,” off her debut album Bad Dream, out April 5.
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Hailing from Florida, where she found her love for music by learning how to play the piano and guitar at a young age, she formally began her career in 2021 after the fallout of a divorce. Much of her work, including Bad Dream, is inspired by the five years she was married. Initially falling in line with the stripped-back breezy pop often heard from mainstream artists, especially on the sunny smooth guitar strumming of “gulf blvd,” she’s since expanded into more atmospheric work.
Now focused on singer-songwriter material reflective of her personal experiences, Bou gathers emotions buried deep and repurposes them into earworm melodies that still retain a unique sinking ship feeling.
While not a far departure from where her career started, Bou, who wrote the song with fellow Nashville band Vibin’ Psybin and the Sunlight Band, embraces a dreary yet dreamy state of mind as she reflects on “the end” of her marriage. The aqueous guitar and bass add to the already serene vocals reverberating across what sounds like a never-ending lake, a visual captured in the single’s artwork.
Although music has long been a part of her life, she started off growing a following as an Atlanta-based influencer on TikTok. In a short amount of time, she quickly garnered millions of views. But as the follower count steadily climbed, the content became monotonous, with little to no room for self-expression of any kind.
On “the end,” Bou comes into her own as a songwriter, evident with lines like “I don’t care if we just play pretend / ‘Cause every story has to have an end, but I don’t want this to end.” After putting the final touches on the song, “the end” quickly became one of Bou’s favorite songs and a prime example of what kind of music she intends to keep creating.
“It really paints the picture of wanting to hold on to something that isn’t going anywhere,” said Bou on her Instagram. “Soaking in the last little moments of bliss that had to be dug out of a pile of debris.”
Words: David Sosa
“the end” by Kesley Bou is out on streaming services. For more on her new album and potential shows, follow her on Instagram and TikTok.
