There’s something gloriously larger-than-life about Matilda Grace. On ‘Cover Boy’, the London pop newcomer reaches back through the gloss of the 80s and 90s, pulling out the synths, silhouettes and unapologetic glamour of an era when pop music knew exactly how to make an entrance.
At the centre of it all is a deceptively simple premise: ambition, attraction and the fantasy of becoming somebody worth putting on the cover. Grace turns that idea into a bright, infectious pop rush, pairing shimmering electronics with an earworm melody and production that carries enough rock-edged swagger to keep things moving beyond pure nostalgia.
The references are clear, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Duran Duran and The Buggles loom large, but ‘Cover Boy’ isn’t interested in simply recreating the past. Grace takes those touchstones and filters them through a distinctly contemporary independent-pop sensibility. There’s colour here, but also intent; the track understands the theatrical side of pop without losing sight of the song itself.
That sense of world-building extends into the accompanying video, where fashion, performance and storytelling collide around the pursuit of magazine-cover stardom. It feels like a natural extension of Grace’s aesthetic rather than an afterthought, reinforcing an artist who appears increasingly aware of how music, image and personality can work in tandem.
Following ‘Chemistry’ and ‘Tell Me Why’, ‘Cover Boy’ feels like a significant step forward. There’s a confidence in its execution that belies Grace’s relative newness, while the track’s gleaming hooks give her plenty of room to grow into the space she is creating.
For an emerging artist, knowing what you want to sound and look like is half the battle. With ‘Cover Boy’, Matilda Grace is beginning to make that vision unmistakably her own.
