Now, pop isn’t usually a genre I spend much time with, though I can appreciate artists like Taylor Swift, whose command of their craft is undeniable. Ella Red is a name to watch, mark my words. She’s already made serious waves on YouTube, with several videos racking up well over a million views. "It’s Not Real" is her debut album, and it immediately sounds like the work of an artist who has spent a long time honing her craft.

The album opens with "Parasite", a dark, brooding introduction that comes as little surprise given the album art. It feels like pop infused with Gothic elements, think Phantom of the Opera or Dracula. A beautiful, sensual vocal sits atop sweeping strings and a thumping drum line, creating an immediate sense of drama. It’s an opening that wastes no time, strong, confident, and going straight for the jugular.

Things switch up with "Ball and Chain" which feels like a more conventional pop track on first listen. As it unfolds, though, it’s once again tinged with that wonderful dark underpinning. Then the chorus drops, and it really does feel like a drop, pure pop in sound, but anchored by lyrics that reinforce that same compelling darkness.

You’d think “We’re All Gonna Die” would be a recipe for doom and gloom, but that’s hard to reconcile when you find yourself tapping your toes. How is it possible for such a title to be turned around and turned into such a banger. Well listen and you'll find out.

It's hard to ignore the song titles. Sometimes you just want to listen to the music and be swept up, but when the track is called "Funeral", it's hard for it not to set certain expectations. OK, The vocals have that sensual tone, and the synth underpins things nicely, darkly and the chorus is deliciously twisted, "I'm so happy at this funeral, thi-this funeral". Even with all the thought that is expended thinking about the music and the lyrics, you can't help but be swept away with the song. The mark of true pop perfection.

With "He Asked for It", the moment the song is out the gate with the lyric "I squished his head like a berry would pop between my thumbs", you know this is going to be quite the ride. The initial percussion accompaniment drives things forward, with just vocals riding along nicely. They're then joined by a brief, bright, synth, that adds a nice contrasting texture. Two back to back verses follow a similar pattern, and then comes the chorus, which brings everything to life, and unusually it closes with two shorter verses and choruses. It feels like there's so much in this song, yet it doesn't quite reach the three minute mark. Again another mark of pop perfection.

I’ve mentioned the lyrics before, but they deserve particular attention on "Predator". I won’t break them out in detail here, but the song is full of wonderful similes that flow effortlessly alongside a thumping pop beat. Once again, it’s a very short track at just under two minutes, yet it has a real sense of completion, reminiscent of classic songs by The Beatles and The Monkees.

"Party Animal" opens with vocals in a valley girl style, and my first thought was “oh no,” but I needn’t have worried. This is a slightly more unconventional pop song, yet it still has all the key elements. The valley girl vocals return midway through, highlighting the track’s slightly unconventional structure, but who cares when it works.

For me, "Aphrodite" stands out, especially as one of the slower tracks. It opens with a beautiful piano intro over lush strings, soon joined by Ella’s stunning voice. At first, I struggled to describe her vocal style on this track, until the word came to me, vulnerable. As the song progresses, an interesting shift occurs, by the final verse, a subtle vocal accompaniment adds a powerful dynamic. The track then closes as it began, with the piano playing solo, bringing the song full circle.

The next track, "Cupid", is a simple acoustic piece that stands apart from the rest of the album. While it’s undeniably beautiful, its tone leans more toward sorrow than the darker, more intense vibe that dominates the other tracks. There’s a delicate intimacy in the vocals and instrumentation that makes it captivating in its own right, but in the context of the album, it feels slightly adrift. Even so it has a haunting charm that lingers long after it ends.

The same could be said of "Always the Artist", another standout track. As something of a poet myself, the opening lines really struck a chord: "Always the artist, but never the muse. How I’d love to spend a lifetime of being pursued". I can’t quite explain it rationally, but the track carries a distinctly Celtic feel, with its lyrical phrasing and melodic flow. Like “Cupid,” it feels somewhat different from the rest of the album, yet that only adds to its charm. It’s a track I’ll happily take, even if it wanders off the main path.

Returning from what felt like a brief diversion, "Religion" brings the album back firmly in line with its core sound. It opens with a booming synth bass line, soon joined by Ella’s commanding vocals. The darkness that threads through the album returns here, both in the music and the lyrics, though this track is somewhat more subdued than others, offering a reflective, brooding intensity rather than outright drama.

Opening a little differently, "Spider String" features a strikingly high, almost ethereal vocal styling that briefly appears at the start and returns throughout the track. This unusual introduction flows into a more conventional arrangement, anchored by a thumping beat. The lyrics are particularly dark, yet, as with all of Ella’s songs, there’s no sense of anguish or sorrow, everything is delivered with a calm, matter-of-fact intensity, if that makes sense, which I think makes the darkness feel all the more compelling.

The last track, "IT’S NOT REAL", is an interesting way to close out the album. Part music, part singing, part rapid-fire lyric delivery, it’s again incredibly dark. Yet you can’t help but be carried by the music, which seems to prevent the words from penetrating too much, more a part of the story than a direct payoff.

Again, I have to admit that pop isn’t really my forte, but I can recognise and appreciate brilliance when I hear it, and this album is very much a creative tour de force. Perhaps in preparing for this debut, Ella had such a wealth of fantastic material that the album was bound to be remarkable. Whatever the reason, it is. As a collective body of work, it might have been slightly stronger if the two tracks highlighted earlier had been left off, or at least moved to the album’s tail end, but that’s a minor quibble. There isn’t a single weak track here. I’m not sure what awards exist for independent music, but this album must surely be a contender for something.