Kate X: Swindon’s Best Kept Secret

You’re young, stars in your eyes, and you live in Swindon; you are not alone, but you are, unfortunately, up against Kate X! Kate is independently producing contemporary pop RnB of international quality, and she’s riding it. Kate X should, and I hope and strongly predict she will be, a global success story…..

James Threlfall spins her tunes on BBC Introducing, comparing her with Sabrina Carpenter and Zara Larson, and I respect his professional judgement. Her singles No Tears and Touch have amassed over nine thousand streams on Spotify and her latest, fifth single, For One Night had over a thousand plays in the four days after its recent release.  

It’s easy to understand why once you’ve listened. Every element to a viable contemporary pop song is evident in Kate X’s tunes. They’re sassy without being coarse, her mezzo-soprano vocals perfectly fit pop, and Kate has a natural flair for bringing acute hooks to the bridge. For One Night, in particular, has that driving RnB bassline, but as a collection, all of Kate X’s singles to date make for an impressive portfolio.

I’ve been hooked on Touch since Peggy-Sue Ford introduced it to me on her Don’t Stop the Music show on Swindon 105.5 last year, and it hasn’t left my head yet! For One Night clearly shows a natural progression, with a familiar and timeless clandestine lover theme, akin to Dusty Springfield’s popular cover choice Breakfast in Bed, but a contemporary soul feel more Beyonce than Kylie.   

She has 670 monthly listeners on Spotify, which for a local indie artist is impressive. She might suggest she can be the object of her desire’s “best kept secret,” but in my opinion, she should no longer be secret to mainstream media and a worldwide fanbase.  

Okay, so there are occasions, and more often than not, when an aspiring wannabe’s judgement obscures the probable reality that they’re the needle in the haystack and unlikely to progress to stardom in the competitive music business. And someone has the unfortunate task of tying their feet back to the floor. It’s sad, but a common stipulation, and often manipulated by television talent shows for ratings. But when I listen to Kate X’s tunes, compare them to what the mainstream is putting out, and consider she’s independently creating and marketing, this is clearly not the case here. Kate has something really rather special, which is on par with the mainstream commercial output.

All it takes is for word to spread, and maybe some crossed fingers and toes, but Kate X seems determined, and unquestionably has the potential to be the next big pop star.

Kate, your songs are simply brilliant, remain steadfast to your goal, mentally prepare for setbacks, obviously, but I reckon, judging on this latest single, you’ve got it in the pocket girl! And we wish you all best of luck with this positively facing journey. Follow her journey on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook.

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