Sophie Kilburn’s voice is like a beloved old friend you’re meeting for the very first time. And on Friday (June 10), the English singer-songwriter from Derbyshire invited us to her world via “20%”, a rousing alt-pop anthem with melancholic modern-rock vibes that’s all about finding the strength to live and love at maximum capacity. It was inspired by a former love interest of Kilburn’s who justified their faded approach by claiming they can only love to a fifth of their capabilities. And that was enough for Kilburn to get out of there — and pen this necessary dose of self-empowerment.
“20% is about reaching the peak of your frustration and fighting for what you want,” Kilburn says. “On the surface, it seems like a Charlotte from Sex in the City ‘curse the day you were born’ vibe, but it’s calling out someone who is mistreating you and breaking free from being their emotional sponge and soaking up all their issues.”
She adds: “I can see some people listening to the song and thinking ‘ohhh that was cold she must be bitter it ended’, which is not the case at all. In fact, it’s that misconception that drove me to write the song. I wrote ‘20%’ with my good friend and fellow songwriter Nina Sundstrom over Zoom. It was out of the frustration of dating someone who would be intermediate in the affection and time they gave me and once responded to me addressing it by saying ‘well, I love at 20%’. I feel we can all relate to someone who refuses to address or acknowledge their behavior and so I wanted to bring power back to people who feel broken down by others. I hope people listen to the song and realize there is nothing wrong with living and loving to the max, anything less would frankly suck!”
Sounds like something our BFF would tell us in a time of need. Power up with “20%” below.