Charlotte Sands’ ethereal pop anthem “Alright” is more than just a catchy tune. It is a profound turning point in the artist’s life story and a message of hope for others who feel like outsiders. The song channels Charlotte’s experiences as an outsider into empowering art and creates a safe space for people to feel accepted and celebrated for their weirdness and diversity.
Growing up, Charlotte always felt like a lone wolf outside of her loving family’s home. She was desperate to fit in during middle school and high school, but aimlessly floated around on the margins of social circles. Yet, today the electric-blue-haired artist is seemingly a life raft for Gen Z-ers and beyond, who are plagued by these same feelings of angst, anxiety, and alienation.
Charlotte’s journey to success was not an overnight one. She has been grinding it out for nearly a decade, and her success is a testament to her broadly resonant messaging and her tireless work ethic. Since 2018, Charlotte has released 27 singles and 2 EPS, covering a wide swath of creative real estate with her trusted longtime producer Danen Reed Rector, along with a motley assortment of creative conspirators spanning alt-rock bands such as Underøath and Sleeping With Sirens to pop and alt artists like Mokita and The Maine. Her catalog has amassed over 135 Million cumulative streams, averaging 1.9 million listeners per month.
When the pandemic hit, Charlotte was faced with the difficult decision to either stay alone, isolated in Nashville with an uncertain future, or go back home. While she was booking her flight, she was also working with Danen, and a piano melody he was playing lured her to stay. That musical motif became Charlotte’s single, “Alright,” and her lyrics reflect the desperation she was feeling at the time. “Through writing that song, I made a choice for my future self—it was the light at the end of the tunnel—and now I am in that light,” she marvels.
The pandemic has been a time of reflection and growth for Charlotte, who has finally found the community she craved growing up, and she created it herself for other social misfits. “I was bullied as a kid, but I’ve realized now the support I was seeking as a teen is here,” she says. “This is all bigger than me, and this past year of shows I’ve been able to actually meet people I’ve interacted with online, and that’s given me a lot of hope in humanity.”
Alongside the release of “Alright,” Charlotte has announced a partnership with the JED Foundation, a nonprofit that works to protect emotional health and prevent suicide for teens and adults, in hopes that the song will help remove the stigma around mental health within her fanbase. The partnership will include limited edition Charlotte Sands x JED Foundation merchandise, with a portion of proceeds benefiting the nonprofit.
“Alright” is more than just a pop song. It is a message of hope, acceptance, and resilience. Through her music, Charlotte Sands is creating a safe space for people to feel seen and supported, and her work is making the world a better place.