Not long ago we discussed the influence of Anglophone indie on today’s mainstream music. Taylor Swift has to be among the culprits, since it’s hardly a coincidence that the biggest pop star of our time is also, above all, a songwriter.
The success of Phoebe Bridgers, Olivia Rodrigo, or, on a smaller scale, Holly Humberstone or Lizzy McAlpine owes a lot to Taylor Swift, and the influence of all these artists crosses into Spain as well. It’s very visible in the approaches with which many recent Operación Triunfo contestants are debuting, such as Chiara Oliver, Claudia Arenas, or Olivia Bay.
The latter is the artist we’re focusing on today. A finalist of Operación Triunfo 2025, her performances of RAYE or Celine Dion were especially commented on, though curiously her vocal timbre seemed more suited to less explosive styles. Those same styles she is exploring in the original songs she’s releasing, which will be collected into an EP titled “Love Is Not in Fashion.”
There also seems to be a search for an alternative pedigree in the use of these sounds—indie, guitar-driven but also very pop, always subordinated to catchy yet subtle and elegant melodies. Someday — which has Bridgers among its explicit references — follows that formula to the letter, with textured guitar arrangements, bright melodies, and a chorus that gradually captures your attention.
“Someday” talks about the difficulty of saying what you feel and of getting stuck in your own head, with a chorus that sums it up in “If I don't tell you, how will you help me?” Recalling emotional clichés like “I’ve spent my whole life just trying to let myself go” or “I stay here locked in my head alone and I don’t know how to get out,” Someday is the typical confessional piece, as if ripped from a diary.
The song is decent although it doesn’t stand out much amid that sea of proposals influenced by the same sound we mentioned earlier, probably due to its lack of specificity. Someday functions more as an initial introduction to Olivia Bay’s musical offering than as a revelation. It doesn’t seem to be its purpose, at least, but simply to present a guitar-driven, intimate, and polished pop song. In that regard, it delivers.
