Pop is no stranger to breakup songs, but alt-pop artist ellakate wanted “TAG TEAM” to be an anthem for taking back power. Her accomplice is the talented pop artist Whitney Bjerken. Together, they create a duet that is as much about friendship as it is about vengeance. The lyrics describe a pair of scorned lovers teaming up to make their mutual ex regret past mistakes.
The two had never worked together before this single, so it’s a creative shot in the dark that hits a crooked bullseye. Each brings a slightly different flavor of spooky and sultry to the song. Bjerken pulled off scary in her last single, “Psycho,” and ellakate has a talent for unsettling intensity, which she has demonstrated in her singles, “I’m Yours,” and “High Maintenance.” The combination of these two voices creates something unique. The two singers enhance one another with almost matching voices but maintain just enough distance. An indisputable power is behind it, a playful menace that gives the song something even the most angry of breakup songs don’t have.
Just as importantly, the song is outright fun to listen to. It is catchy, and the pair enjoyed working on it. “It was so fun writing and working with Whitney on this song,” said ellakate in a press release. “We had never worked together before this and are now great friends because of it.”
Between Bjerken’s famous YouTube career and ellakate’s lifelong work as a musician, neither is a stranger to performance. They bring confidence and talent to their collaboration. Comparisons have been made between ellakate’s voice and those of Amy Winehouse and Lana Del Rey, and her career has long boasted an alternative taste with shades of Billie Eilish. “TAG TEAM” is a single that would appeal to fans of those artists, and it is almost too easy to let Spotify pull you through the rest of ellakate’s songs once it has begun.
A journey through ellakate’s music involves storytelling and strong positive and negative emotions. She has been writing music since she was very young and loved the stories music can bring to life. With hundreds of songs written before she even recorded her first single, ellakate is an artist with a good idea of what she wants to be and what she might become. However, there is still exciting exploration happening in her music. “TAG TEAM” is one more exploration, anchored in Ellakate’s brand of storytelling and infused with the new elements of Bjerkin’s artistic taste and voice.
These voices are so distinct and full of personality that any audience of alt-pop listeners will likely find themselves exploring these young musicians’ work. It is energizing to see the beginnings of these careers and imagine where the future might lead talented artists like these two. Between ellakate’s 23 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify and Bjerken’s 1.6 million YouTube subscribers, a large enough audience would be interested in hearing more from the pair.
