From Darkness to Dawn: Paris Paloma's Journey Through Trauma and Triumph in Debut Album 'Cacophony'

As Paris Paloma watched her friends skim stones across Brighton Beach, she felt a shift in her energy. After a long period of personal trauma, it was as if life was beginning to take shape again, like warmth returning to numb fingertips. With a delicate sheath of lyrics in mind, Paris journeyed to Bergen, Norway, where she would work on new music. In the silvery lakes and mountain peaks of Europe’s wettest city, life grew ever brighter during the rare sunny days. It was here that her song “The Warmth” began to take form.

“I ate up all the light, it shone through my teeth, I tasted sunbeams emanating from me… it can’t hurt me… now the warmth is returning”

Paris sings in harmonies that weave together ethereal pop with a determined percussive march, building like a personal artillery. This emotional journey became the core of Paris Paloma’s debut album, Cacophony.

Born in Derbyshire, Paris Paloma introduced herself to the world with her 2023 hit “Labour”. It was the first song she’d ever fully recorded in a professional studio. Early releases like “Narcissus” (2020), the EP Cemeteries and Socials (2021), and “Notre Dame” (2023) were all products of her bedroom studio. Yet, even before its official release, “Labour” had already captured the attention of a growing audience on TikTok with its journal like lyricism and compelling dark folk pop sound. The song quickly became an anthem, breaking over 100 million streams on Spotify and charting on both the Official UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Chart. It soundtracked countless TikTok videos and spurred sold out shows across the UK, leading Paris to take her music to the festival circuits in the US and Australia.

“I matured because of ‘Labour’. As a young artist, you’re both protected and limited you’re putting songs that are so intimate into a void. It’s made me more considerate about how vulnerable these songs are going to be.”

This vulnerability is something Paris feels deeply, yet she also feels supported by her listeners. This symbiotic relationship has cultivated a devoted fanbase, both online and off. Her 400K followers on TikTok frequently send her videos, song snippets, and tour moments that garner six figure views. Fan made art and lyric analyses flood social media, and Paris has even crowdsourced the voices of hundreds of fans for a new version of “Labour” set to be released. As she gains wider recognition from NME to Billboard, and as YouTube’s Trending Artist on the Rise and Amazon's Breakthrough Artist to Watch 2024, her roots continue to grow deeper.

The album, rather than being conceptualised, was curated to find a natural rhythm akin to Greek theatre staging or “a quest,” as Paris puts it.

“I love linear storytelling, following the protagonist inflected by a journey. Looking back, I can track my own wellbeing, my growth.”

The album opener “My Mind (Now)” and closer “Yeti” are opposites, depicting a journey from turmoil to redemption and healing. Despite describing her songwriting as undisciplined, Paris always begins with lyrics, allowing melody to follow.

Her ability to weave the personal with haunting symbolism is evident, particularly in tracks like “Boys, Bugs, and Men”, which explores men’s sadistic behaviours through natural world imagery, unraveling the banalities of patriarchy.

“I love the feral, feminine aspects of my music. Being unapologetically vulnerable feels wild it's breaking down boundaries, a return to something primal.”

“Bones on the Beach” marks a turning point in Paris’s journey.

“I wrote it at a time when I was coming out of survival mode. It starts from exhaustion and wanting the world to stop asking things of you. And as it progresses, there’s a realisation you will find peace in life when you start living and taking care of yourself.”

Three tracks on the album – “Escape Pod”, “Last Woman on Earth”, and “Bones on the Beach” form her ‘apocalypse trio.’

"Last Woman on Earth” is an emotive piece about reclaiming her voice. Drawing on dark metaphors, she finds light, reflecting on how women’s wishes after death have often been dishonored throughout history.

“It becomes an uplifting point it shows my growing belief in my own agency.”

World building is a massive part to Paris’s artistry. She gravitates towards eerie feminine fashion, often styled for stage by Leith Clark. If every song could have a music video, Paris would gladly create them. The striking visual for “My Mind (Now)”, directed by Matt Grass, amplifies her desire for fans to see her musical world as she does.

Cacophony serves as a backdrop for all future music Paris will create.

“I’ve chronically released singles and been quite nomadic, I’m excited to set the scene for my world”.