Isabelle Mettle, the 22-year-old producer, songwriter, and vocalist from North London, has built a reputation for her fusionist sonic signature and ability to instil emotion into innovation. Her latest single, Not Feeling You, is a testament to her fearless experimentalism, merging retro-fused soul with glitchy trip-hop textures and neo-soul waves that hit with deliberate force.
The track unfolds like a sonic tug-of-war, capturing the emotional turbulence of feeling out of sync in a relationship you’ve outgrown. Mettle’s harmonised vocals act as an anchor amidst instrumental chaos, her soul-drenched delivery piercing through the unpredictable landscape. It’s a study in contrasts: the complexity of shifting time signatures pairs with jagged turntable scratches to create moments of disarray, while her control and precision tether the track, preventing it from spiralling into complete disorder.
By the time the neo-soul undertones reassert themselves in the mix, the track feels like a fully realised emotional storm — a visceral portrayal of dissatisfaction which aches with evocative weight. Each element of the production seems intentionally misaligned, mimicking the inner confusion of a love gone stale.
With influences rooted in soul, R&B, jazz, and alternative music, Mettle has been refining her craft since her early teens. She describes herself as a producer and songwriter first, with vocals being an extension of her creative process rather than the sole focus.
Not Feeling You was officially released on January 17th; stream the single on Spotify now.
Review by Amelia Vandergast
