''Cigarette'' by Katie Belle — Smoke, Memory, and the Burn of What Lingers

Cigarette

Katie Belle’s latest single, Cigarette, drifts in like a memory you thought you’d buried—soft at first, then unexpectedly sharp. Released on May 9, 2025, and produced by longtime collaborator Fabio Campedelli, the track is an intoxicating blend of indie pop minimalism and lyrical poignancy. Like its namesake, Cigarette is ephemeral yet lingering, delicate but dangerous. The Georgia native is writing another breakup ballad and bottling the scent of old love, exhaled in slow motion.

What makes Cigarette stand out is Katie’s uncanny ability to wrap aching truths in sonically alluring packaging. Her vocals are wistful and restrained, hanging in the air with a kind of fragile self-awareness. Each line of the song feels like a page torn from a diary, sketched with the kind of vivid, unpolished honesty that only time and distance can offer. “It ended long ago,” she seems to whisper between verses, “but why do I still taste the smoke?” The metaphor is clever and visceral. You can smell the ashes, feel the burn, and still crave what hurt you.

Producer Fabio Campedelli, who’s been working with Katie since 2022, creates a lush yet restrained backdrop for her emotional excavation. Subtle beats pulse under layered synths and dreamy guitar textures, letting Katie’s voice carry the emotional weight. The production mirrors the theme perfectly—melancholic, but not mournful. It’s a song that doesn’t wallow, but floats, circling back on itself like smoke in a still room. Mixed by Lukas Cuman and mastered by Sanjeeve Easwar in LA, the track sounds warm, present, and deeply intimate.

The bridge of the song surprises in its intimacy—a sonic hush that feels like entering a memory you weren’t ready to revisit. Katie and Campedelli reportedly spent countless hours ensuring the music matched the tone of the lyrics, and it shows. Every element of a Cigarette is tuned to the frequency of longing. The track might draw on Katie’s own experiences, but it’s built to resonate with anyone who's ever been haunted by what once was, by what could’ve been.

As the first release of her 2025 run and a preview of her upcoming People Pleaser EP, Cigarette sets a high bar. It’s Katie Belle at her most self-assured—vulnerable but in control, heartbroken but whole. With a busy performance schedule in the Southeast and a standout set at Virginia Highlands Porchfest under her belt, Belle is an artist ascending. ''Cigarette'' doesn’t beg for attention, but smoulders quietly and draws you in, until you realise you're hooked. It’s a slow burn that stays with you long after the last note fades.

For more information, follow Katie Belle on Spotify, Soundcloud and YouTube.

Katie Belle