March Fry captures something tender on her debut single ‘Cheryl Cole’

There's an easy charm to ‘Cheryl Cole’ that comes from knowing exactly what it wants to celebrate. Instead of treating attraction as something superficial or exaggerated, London's March Fry uses the debut single to explore admiration in all its more interesting forms; such as confidence, warmth, wit, vulnerability and the small details that make someone sit in the imagination.

Taken from her forthcoming debut album 'In No Time', ‘Cheryl Cole’ blends neo-soul, indie-pop, bedroom pop and R&B into something light on its feet but emotionally sincere. There's a softness to the song’s world that recalls the intimacy of artists such as Olivia Dean and Arlo Parks, though her own perspective feels notably personal.

She writes from inside the rush of fascination, allowing humour and tenderness to sit side by side. The affection is vivid, almost feverish, but there's also something grounded in the way the subject is viewed as a complete person, and that distinction gives the track much of its warmth.

There's playfulness here too, which stops the song from becoming overly earnest. She seems comfortable allowing personality into the writing, and that instinct gives the track a conversational quality that suits its neo-soul and bedroom-pop foundations.

For a debut single, March Fry arrives with a clear sense of tone, an ear for intimacy and a willingness to let sincerity stand without hiding behind irony. If 'In No Time' is ultimately a record about growing, releasing and returning to yourself, then ‘Cheryl Cole’ makes for a wonderfully heartfelt starting point.