The air is cool, the road ahead is dark, and the only light is the glow of the dashboard. This is the mood CQU perfectly encapsulates with her solo debut single, ‘Burn to Feel You’.
An eighteen-year-old multi-instrumentalist from Toronto, CQU has burst onto the scene with a track that feels both intimate and expansive. It’s a song that shines with her DIY ethos and innate talent, offering a vibrant snapshot of an artist ready to take on the world. Opening with a gorgeous synth cascade and CQU’s hushed vocals, the song immediately transports you to a nocturnal world. It’s a sonic burst of sound that pulls you in and carries you away, built on a foundation of tempered beats and a building sense of anticipation.
You can feel the cold night air on your skin, a sensation she deliberately aimed to create. "I wanted to make a song that felt like the soundtrack to a night drive, full of escapism and a forward-moving momentum," she explains. "I was really thinking about playing with space and direction and how to use different textures and sounds that make you want to levitate, run, or just do something."
The track, which she recorded and co-mixed in her bedroom, perfectly blends synthpop and electronic elements into a hypnotic soundscape. It’s a charming, cinematic ride that is as ensnaring as it is expressive. Throughout, CQU’s classical music background echoes in the meticulous layering and structure of the song, but it's her newfound passion for production that truly shines.
This is an artist deeply involved in every step of her creative journey, from the first synth note to the final frame. For night wanderers and seekers of the otherworldly, CQU's debut is a perfect sonic escape. It's a promising start that leaves you eager for more.
For more from CQU, be sure to follow her on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and X.
