Hattie is the brainchild of Brooklyn-based vocalist, songwriter, and audio engineer Melissa Kaitlyn Carter. Named after her great-grandmother, who almost took the Titanic with her family over to the States, but one of them couldn’t get a ticket, this project is an act of generational healing.
The return of Hattie is marked by “Venus Was in Retrograde,” a moving piece of soulful pop balladry with wistful vocals and atmospheric instrumentation. There is an intimacy to this performance that makes the emotions explored and colorful textures become immersive, surrounding the listener with a blinding yet welcoming light. The way Hattie’s vocals dance with the arrangement, which transitions from lo-fi pop to soulful crescendoes in the time it takes for a tear to roll down your face, creates a warm, inviting glow around “Venus Was In Retrograde.” While it is easy to get lost in the musicality of it all, Hattie is tackling some heavy emotions in these lyrics. Her latest single finds the artist running in circles with no way out, almost as if there is a gravitational pull keeping her in these situations. Hattie’s heartbreak turns to gold as she uses the complexities in her life to pen a soulful, poetic single.
“‘Venus Was in Retrograde’ was the first song I ever wrote for this project. It’s a story about ping-ponging back to an old relationship during an astrological transit famous for rekindling an old flame: Venus retrograde,” explains Carter. “It has followed me through a few of those exact transits since. Venus is a planet connected to the creative process, and it took time to be in the process of creating this song. You’ll notice it’s not the first single I’m putting out under this project; it’s the fourth. Hattie has been a slow burn for a number of reasons, but in this case, this song was put on pause because I had to get vocal surgery before recording the final vocals. If you listen to my other songs, you’ll notice that the texture of my voice is different in ‘Venus Was in Retrograde’ compared to the rest that have been released. I’m so grateful to have my voice, to be putting this out into the world, and to share this track with fresh ears.”
