Catlea Offers Honest, Heartfelt Songwriting On 'Someone’s Got To '

CATLEA’s new single 'Someone’s Got To' is a deeply personal reflection on recovery, self-acceptance and the difficult process of learning to choose yourself. The London-based singer-songwriter, originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, returns with their most emotionally revealing release to date, offering the first glimpse into their forthcoming EP Aftermath.

Known for their restless creativity and genre-spanning approach, CATLEA has built a catalogue that moves between alternative rock, indie, Americana, pop and electronic collaborations. With Someone’s Got To, however, they turn their focus inward, embracing a more stripped-back acoustic-pop sound built around acoustic guitar, live drums and atmospheric production.

Written during a period of significant personal change, the track explores CATLEA’s journey to sobriety and the realities of confronting addiction. At the heart of the song is a simple but powerful lyric: “If you won’t love me, then I will.” Originally written as a moment of reflection, the line became a turning point, capturing the courage required to take responsibility for your own healing.

Speaking about the meaning behind the track, CATLEA explains: “When I originally wrote the song, it wasn't written with the intention of getting better, it was more of a hopeful thing; an acknowledgment that I needed to love myself more and take better care of myself, because I wasn't doing that at the time.”

The journey behind Someone’s Got To was not an easy one. The song remained unfinished following an emotional recording session in Barcelona, an experience that ultimately became a catalyst for change.

“The song sat unfinished after an emotional breakdown during a Barcelona studio session. We tried to record it, and it just wasn’t working, I messed up the session because I was drunk when I should have been working. I remember collapsing on the floor and crying. That collapse became a turning point to change.

Months later, after quitting drinking for good, I returned to the song and was finally able to record the choruses. Cosmically, it felt like ‘Someone’s Got To’ wasn’t allowed to exist until it was true. Finishing the track required myself to live the vow the lyric had set, to find the strength to love myself.”

Rather than simply documenting hardship, Someone’s Got To focuses on the possibility of change. The track captures the contradictions of recovery, balancing pain with hope and vulnerability with strength. What begins as a plea gradually transforms into a statement of resilience, reflecting the slow but meaningful process of rebuilding a life.

The single arrives during a period of continued growth for CATLEA, who has accumulated more than 15 million streams across digital platforms, 1.2 million YouTube views and over 23,000 radio plays worldwide. Following a sold-out Language Barrier album release show in Camden, hosted by BBC Radio 1 presenter Maia Beth, CATLEA has continued to expand their live presence with more than 60 UK shows in the past 15 months.

Having also completed two national tours supporting Betty Boo’s Boomania 35 anniversary celebrations, CATLEA is now looking ahead to their own 2026 Lost Souls Tour: Music for the Unseen. With Aftermath on the way, 'Someone’s Got To' introduces an artist entering a new era, one shaped by honesty, growth and the strength found in facing yourself.

Listen below: