Courtney Hadwin unleashes her defiant new single 'Whatcha Gunna Do?!'

Courtney Hadwin has never sounded particularly interested in shrinking herself to fit anyone else’s expectations, and 'Whatcha Gunna Do?!' turns that instinct into a full-blown statement of intent.

Built around blues-infused rock, a funky bassline and groove-heavy guitar work, the track showcases how completely she can inhabit a song. Her raspy and explosive voice is still the immediate attraction, but what stands out more now is the confidence around it.

The song feels aimed directly at anyone who has underestimated her, but it sounds like she's already moved past the argument. The challenge in the title is delivered with a grin, turning frustration into energy and self-belief into something brilliantly physical.

Courtney Hadwin entered the public consciousness extraordinarily young, first through The Voice Kids UK and then through the viral America's Got Talent audition that placed her in front of a global audience before she had really had the chance to define herself as an artist. But the years since have clearly sharpened that instinct for self-definition.

Songs such as 'Spellbound', 'You Only Love Me When I Lie', 'DNA' and 'All the Love Money Can Buy' have allowed her to move through punk-rock, soul, funk and blues without sanding away the rawness that first made her compelling. And 'Whatcha Gunna Do?!' feels like another step in that direction.

It's loose, cocky, bluesy and packed full of swagger. 'Whatcha Gunna Do?!' is the moment Courtney Hadwin no longer asks where she fits. She's now seeing whether everyone else can keep up.