Isabel Maria – Ruin
Isabel Maria's 'Ruin' is a sharp slice of alternative pop from Sunderland, turning self-sabotage into one an incredibly compelling debut
Isabel Maria's 'Ruin' really does hit different. She wrote it about horror films, then realised it was actually about something scarier: letting people in when you're not sure they deserve to be there. I know the feeling hun. The track opens with that tension and never lets go, building through clever, self-aware lyrics that balance genuine vulnerability with a dry wit. But it's her vocal which connects so beautifully. And that chorus? It's properly brilliant. Superb alternative pop, honest and completely assured.
Isabel Maria is a twenty-year-old singer-songwriter based in Sunderland, pen in hand and ribbon in hair. She started writing secret songs on her grandad's old Casio, and after support from the city's Young Musicians Project those tracks found an audience: hundreds of thousands of streams, a North East Culture Award, and praise from BBC Radio 1 and Rolling Stone Español. If you're into Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo or Gracie Abrams, this is your lane. A real highlight this autumn, and we'll be watching her closely.