Fresh from commanding the stage for a spectacular solo headline performance at Vivid LIVE 2026 inside the Sydney Opera House, Brisbane’s indie-pop luminary Jem Cassar-Daley has unveiled her latest single and accompanying music video, ‘Cool Girl’, released via Civilians.
Collaborating with producer Robby De Sa, the Gumbaynggirr and Bundjalung singer-songwriter channels an ethereal sonic vulnerability into a sharp, resonant exploration of identity. The track examines the exhausting reality of altering oneself to satisfy the shifting parameters of external expectations, repackaging a heavy, shared reality into an intimate piece of synth-kissed pop artistry.
The conceptual spark for the track originates from contemporary cinema. As Cassar-Daley explains:
“I wrote ‘Cool Girl’ after re-watching one of my favourite films, 'Gone Girl', during which we watch as Rosamund Pike’s character (Amy Dunn) slowly transforms into a woman she doesn’t recognise. At a really poignant part of the movie, there is this incredible monologue that Amy does about the ‘cool girl’. The line “Nick loved a girl I was pretending to be” really stuck with me."
"I feel this taps into the societal pressures women face to conform to and live up to these unrealistic standards in a patriarchal society. Women are told to be ‘hot’ and ‘fun’ and 'game,' while remaining ‘cool’ and 'nonchalant' and never causing a scene. How?"
"I wanted to write a song that says ‘I could do all of these things to fit your mold - drink the beer, get tattoos, pretend to like football- because at the end of the day, you just want a ‘cool girl,’ don’t you?’”
Since introducing her music to the world in 2021, Cassar-Daley has consistently expanded her footprint across the Australian music sphere. Her rapid trajectory includes securing the NIMA New Talent of the Year and QMA Indigenous Artist of the Year accolades back in 2022. By 2024, her single ‘King of Disappointment’ collected the AIR Award for Song of the Year alongside the QMA Pop prize. She sustained these triumphs through 2025 and directly into 2026, where she took home another QMA Song of the Year award for ‘Kiss Me Like You’re Leaving’.
Her live resume is equally stellar, featuring touring slots alongside heavyweights like Thelma Plum, King Stingray, and Jessica Mauboy, plus a featured performance during the 2025 ABC NYE broadcast. With an appearance at BIGSOUND 2026 officially locked in for September, her momentum shows no signs of slowing down.
‘Cool Girl’ is available to stream right now across all major platforms. Make sure to add it to your playlists and follow Jem Cassar-Daley on Instagram and Facebook to catch her upcoming tour dates and announcements.
