This is the complex alternative dark-pop of South London artist Cheska Moore, a shadowy combination of mystifying vocals, unlikely instrumentation, and the raw honesty of genuine songwriting. Drawing inspiration from the moody, characterful approach of Billie Eilish, the attitude-laden lyricism of Upsahl, and her own experience of the darker side of life, Cheska has unearthed a sound that is uniquely her own.
A born agitator, Cheska first made waves in the summer of 2020 with her viral subversions of classic pop hits like “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” and “Believe”, flipping them to create atmospheric, ethereal vibes and reaching over 10 million combined views across social platforms. TikTok has fallen hard for Cheska, with her most viewed video sitting comfortably around the 2.5 million mark and her account having accumulated over half a million likes since its creation in the summer of 2021, while videos featuring Cheska boast over 8 million views on Instagram and 1 million on YouTube. In addition to her own conquest of social media, 2020 saw lifestyle icons Glamour magazine feature pop superstar Rita Ora reacting to Cheska’s cover of her song “Let You Love Me”, describing Cheska’s performance as “Beautiful” and “Vulnerable”.
Since the 2019 release of her debut single, “Boy Who Tried”, Cheska has developed her artistry over the course of six successful single releases and caught the ear of the wider music industry, BBC Introducing having named her their Track of the Day and Track of the Week on several occasions. Her second single, “Bloodline”, released in 2020, has to date accumulated 500,000 listens across various streaming platforms, and her subsequent releases have garnered Cheska features across a variety of blogs and playlists.
Cheska sang all her life, but it was her tenure as a session singer for renowned hitmakers Xenomania that really gave her the opportunity to crystallise her vocal philosophy and approach to the voice as her instrument. At Xenomania, Cheska lent her voice to a host of meticulously crafted pop songs written by the likes of Tove Lo and MNEK, and this experience has been invaluable in sculpting her approach to her own music.
As 2022 dawned, Cheska went away and took some time to further hone her sound, working on a host of new material and plumbing a newfound depth of maturity in her writing through the exploration of more uncomfortable themes than her music has previously tackled. Narcissism, toxicity, sexuality, unhealthy relationships, and intrusive thoughts are all laid bare with unflinching honesty. 2023 is the year of Cheska Moore.
“Bad Thoughts” is the new single from South London alt-pop singer/songwriter Cheska Moore and the first in a series of releases slated for 2023. A 3am fever dream of pounding bass and drums, awash in atmospheric synths beneath a trademark character-laden vocal delivery, “Bad Thoughts” is an open door to the new, darker house of Cheska.
Listen to her latest here: