Dela Kay’s “Anybody Else” is the bittersweet nostalgia of lost love

Alt-pop artist Dela Kay has released her latest single, Anybody Else, a deeply personal and emotional song that captures the nostalgia of lost love. Written last October at producer Nick’s East Nashville studio, the song was born from a place of deep reflection, making it one of Dela Kay’s most vulnerable releases yet.

The song was co-written by Dela Kay, Nick, and Whitney – the same trio behind her previous single, Remedy. From the moment they gathered in the studio, the writing process felt instinctive. “As soon as the three of us got together, we knew we were going to write a ballad,” Dela recalls. Still processing a painful breakup from just a few months earlier, Dela found herself immersed in nostalgia, especially with the lingering autumn atmosphere adding to the mood.

The writing session took a deeply personal turn as they reflected on past memories, with lyrics drawing from Dela’s first date with her former partner. The song’s emotional weight builds as reality sets in during the chorus. The track’s central hook, “any anybody else”, was introduced by Cozine and immediately resonated with the team. “Whitney and I loved it and knew we wanted to keep it,” Dela continues.

Drawing from their backgrounds in folk and indie music, Nick and Whitney helped shape melodies that felt effortlessly organic and deeply authentic. “Sometimes when you’re speaking directly from the heart, things just flow naturally, and that’s exactly what happened that day,” Dela adds.

One of the most distinctive aspects of Anybody Else is its vocal production. In an unconventional move, the final version of the song features Dela’s original scratch vocal recorded during the writing session. “We loved it so much, we kept all of it – it’s the same vocal you hear in the final track,” Dela says. This decision adds an extra layer of rawness and authenticity, preserving the emotion captured in that initial performance.

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Anybody Else blends the intimacy of acoustic-driven verses with the sweeping intensity of its chorus. Dela describes its cinematic feel as reminiscent of early 2000s romance films. “It’s kind of giving A Cinderella Story – when Chad Michael Murray runs up on the bleachers in the rain to kiss Hilary Duff after the football game,” Dela adds. The track’s arrangement mirrors this emotional arc, with stripped-down acoustic instrumentation in the verses before swelling into a powerful chorus filled with booming drums and soaring electric guitar swells.

The second verse shifts the perspective, acknowledging past struggles while offering reassurance. “It’s about recognizing their pain and letting them know I’m strong enough to handle it,” Dela explains. While writing the song was a painful process, Dela now looks back on the experience with peace. “Even though the relationship didn’t work out, knowing my heart has the capacity to love that deeply—despite the pain—is something to be hopeful for in my future.”

At its core, Dela Kay’s Anybody Else explores the complexities of love, heartbreak, and emotional resilience – where Dela delivers a beautiful ballad that is intimate and cinematic – highlighting her ability to turn raw emotion into a musical experience.

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