Singer-songwriter Kelsy Karter made headlines earlier this year for getting a massive tattoo of Harry Styles’ face on her cheek. It turns out the tat was just a drawing, but her brilliantly effective publicity stunt paid off. Her single “Harry,” released the week after the tattoo scandal, has over one million streams on Spotify, and her newest track “What U” is poised to be just as big.
Karter’s new single “What U” has a cool ’60s rock sound. Over a Rolling Stones-esque, riff-y track, Karter asks a potential lover “what they’re gonna do” as she gears up to make a move. It’s a showcase for her confident, textured voice — and, like “Harry,” it’s undeniably catchy.
Karter recently opened for English rock band The Struts on tour in the UK, and she’ll play a headlining show at Los Angeles’ Moroccan Lounge later this month. Karter may be a Harry stan, but she also apparently has a collaboration with former One Direction bandmate Zayn Malik in the works. It’s also safe to assume that she’ll be using all this publicity and media attention to build hype for an album coming soon. She hasn’t announced one yet, but with her headlining shows and millions of streams, her pop-rock takeover seems imminent.
Listen to “What U” below.
