Kevin Bronson on August 23rd, 2017

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Upsahl’s new single “Can You Hear Me Now” was not written for a cellular company’s ad campaign, although in hindsight it would have been far more likeable than an annoying pitchman. “It’s a message to someone on the other end of a failing relationship,” says 18-year-old Taylor Upsahl, who’s been releasing music mononymously since she was 14. “[Finally] one person decides it isn’t worth the stress, time, or energy anymore. I’ve watched so many women in my life stay in a relationship that they obviously aren’t happy in. They settle for a partner that doesn’t appreciate them or make them feel like the badasses they are.”

Upsahl, a Phoenix native who has decamped to L.A. now that she’s graduated high school, collaborated with Max Frost on the single, an irrepressibly catchy slice of old-meets-new school pop showcasing her nimble, youthful vocals. It’s the follow-up to Upsahl’s latest full-length, “Unfamiliar Light,” released in February.

Directed by Matty Steinkamp of Sundawg Media, the video for the song features Upsahl’s bandmates Anthony Germinaro, Dale Goodman, Rachel Rinsema and Dylan Spitler, along with dancers Zack Torres, Mia Torres, Margaux Katz and Simrin Player. It’s the playful, colorful aesthetic that carries the day here. “All aspects of the video are meant to be like, ‘Hey I’m here! I’m going to leave you soon unless you shape up and treat me the way I deserve to be treated. I’m having a great time with my friends and living it up, so you can choose to be a part of it or not. Can you hear me now?’” Upsahl says. “My goal for this video is for people to feel empowered and like they have to get up and dance along with us.”

||| Watch: The video for “Can You Hear Me Now”

||| Also: Stream the song here

||| Also: Watch the video for “Digital Papers,” the single from February’s album