Isabella Komodromos is a Cypriot-born, Brooklyn -based singer/songwriter, pianist and the creative mastermind behind the rising cinematic, solo art pop project Bella Litsa. The Cypriot-born, Brooklyn-based artist was raised in a household steeped in classical music: She began studying the piano when she turned seven, and quickly discovered her deep love for singing.
With Bella Litsa, Komodromos has crafts intimate, lush and emotionally potent songs that echo with dreamlike intensity. And in a rather short period of time, her sound which sees her blending vintage romance with experimental textures, a sort of haunted Americana-meeting-minimalist futurism, has helped her draw comparisons to Lana Del Rey, Fiona Apple and Weyes Blood — while being a vessel for connection and cantharis. “Bella Litsa is my sadness personified. It feels like the closest I can get to my shadow, consciously,” Komodromos says.
Komodromos’ second and latest single this year, “1117” is a breathtakingly beautiful song featuring a marching, classically-inspired arpeggiated piano melody and military styled drumming serving as a lush yet uneasy bed for the Cypriot-born, Brooklyn-based artist’s gorgeous and expressive vocal singing lyrics touching upon guilt, longing, love and not quite knowing her place in either. While further cementing comparisons to Lana Del Rey, Fiona Apple and Weyes Blood, “1117” brings to mind the likes of Tori Amos and French-born, Montréal-based artist Lonny — with dreamy and cinematic quality. And yet the song evokes a sense of unreconcilable inner conflict.
“This was one of the more labored-over songs on the record. I started writing it on November 17th, but only had the first half of the lyrics done,” Komodromos says. “I had to wait until certain things in life moved me, until certain things happened, something to finish the lyrics with. It’s strange because I had this dream the following February and prayed to God to give me solace in it, some sort of surrender – and He answered. Only then was I able to finish the song.”
She adds, “It’s an emotionally unstable song, as in I’m fighting with myself and trying to figure out what it is I want and why I want it to begin with. The relationship that inspired it was harmful, but I couldn’t stop myself from being allured.”
Directed by Kelli McGuire, the accompanying dreamlike video features the rising singer/songwriter and pianist spinning and expressively dancing to the song.