By: Sarah Morton
Kimberly Cole, the energetic and multi-talented pop star, is back with her new single, BLOODY MARY. Now available to stream on Spotify and Apple Music, the track signals a powerful new chapter in Cole’s musical journey—one that reflects raw vulnerability, self-acceptance, and emotional honesty. The song has a deep resonance, blending dark pop elements with gritty hip-hop beats, and is more than just another track; it’s a bold anthem of introspection and reckoning.
At the heart of BLOODY MARY is Cole’s unflinching commitment to telling the truth, both to herself and her audience. The song dives into what she describes as “the things we hide, not just from others, but from ourselves.” This raw emotional transparency has not always been a part of Cole’s creative process, but with this track, she steps into her authentic self. “This song is a confession to myself—a wake-up call to finally be honest with who I am,” Cole explains in a recent Q&A. “The song represents all that is hidden underneath, not in just me, but all of us.”
The single is part of a larger creative evolution for Cole, who first rose to prominence with her Billboard-charting hit Smack You. While that track was a major pop success, Cole admits that her earlier music was influenced by external expectations, especially from industry executives. “I was so heavily concerned with pleasing A&Rs that my creativity was dimmed by sonic culture trends,” she reflects. “Now I just write like a human. And then I sing it. And hope that someone resonates with my humanity.”
Photo Courtesy: JOPR
Cole worked with longtime collaborator and producer Jeeve Ducornet on BLOODY MARY, a creative partnership that spans over 15 years. Ducornet, who also happens to be Cole’s ex-husband, has been a key figure in shaping her sound. “We literally locked ourselves in a creative cave for years developing, producing, experimenting, and finding the ethos to our sound,” she reveals. “We can read each other’s creative minds and have grown together. He’s also my ex-husband. We still create together. Keeps things interesting (and emotional) to say the least.”
This dynamic, emotionally charged working relationship adds depth to the track’s haunting production. Recorded in Cole’s home studio—a sunlit loft in Universal City overlooking the 101 freeway in Los Angeles—the single was created during an intense yet freeing session. “We wrote and recorded it while sipping Bloody Marys in our loft—it was fun, but also intense. Many ‘demons’ were released that day,” Cole shares.
Cole’s collaborators on the track also include co-writer Goldie, with whom she feels a deep artistic connection. “The song is a beautiful collaboration between me and one of my favorite collaborators, Goldie,” she notes. “We have more music together coming soon that hits the depth and the frequency of what I feel my soul authentically needs to say.”
Photo Courtesy: JOPR
Though BLOODY MARY stands out as a raw, cathartic anthem, it’s also a sonic preview of what’s to come in Cole’s evolving discography. “It’s definitely a sonic example of what’s to come,” she says. “I’ve grown up so much since releasing my first single “Smack You”. It took me a divorce, death of a parent, and accidental lies I was telling myself to rip the layers of sunny double entendre-laden pop songs to eventually realize…oh…maybe I should just start telling the truth.”
The lyrics of BLOODY MARY are packed with drama, pain, and anger—an unfiltered exploration of Cole’s personal battles. When asked about the inspiration behind the song, she candidly responds, “I could write three memoirs on why I wrote this song. The song represents a confession to myself. A come-to-Jesus, a wake-up call, a surrender, the start of finally being honest with myself. The start of acceptance.”
This honesty comes with its own set of fears. Cole admits, “I’m afraid to release this record but the difference now is that I’m brave enough to be afraid. That’s the lesson to myself. I want listeners to be brave with me. I want to continue to do the things that scare me and inspire others to do the same.”
Published By: Aize Perez
