Chayla Hope’s music distills everything that makes pop such a potent force.
At its worst, pop can feel cold, anonymous, and one-dimensional. At its best, it’s sonically versatile, emotionally raw, and a refuge for marginalized communities. Chayla is a diligent student of the form, proving time and again that pop can hold multitudes.
Her debut album Damn, Feelings (2022) pairs sparkly euphoria with vulnerable self-reflection, conjuring images of everything from ’80s arcades and present-day queer clubs to golden-hour convertible rides and marathon dive-bar karaoke with friends you’d kill for. The record spans bubbly synth-pop, R&B-infused radio hits, indietronica, New Jack Swing, and euphoric dance-pop, but the constant is Chayla’s rousing voice—shifting effortlessly between cool and collected anthems, naked balladry, and raspy fireworks. For all its neon-colored bliss, Damn, Feelings digs into insecurities, loneliness, and fear of abandonment, turning even despair into a dancefloor catalyst.
As a queer person and former drag performer, Chayla knows pop can be a source of freedom and acceptance. She remembers the first time a drag queen performed one of her songs—a moment that crystalized the communal power of her work. Her roots run deep in Cleveland’s creative scene, from fronting bands across genres to pressing records at Gotta Groove, where she now presses her own. She’s collaborated with Saucy Brew Works on themed beers, opened for national acts, and built a loyal following through her boundless creative energy.
Her sophomore album Mess Of A Woman (2025) marked a fearless evolution. Taking full creative control, Chayla embraced every facet of herself—flawed, complex, and unapologetically authentic. The title came from an online insult she flipped into a rallying cry: “What a voice, what a tattooed mess of a woman.” Demoed at home and refined with co-producer Nate Saggio, the album is her most immersive and ambitious work yet, mixed and mastered in Dolby Atmos at Amazon Music’s Studio126. Beyond the music, Mess Of A Woman expanded into a graphic novel created with artist Emily Mistica, cementing Chayla’s place as a multidimensional artist.
Following Mess Of A Woman, Chayla kept the momentum alive with “Keep You” in August 2025. The shimmering, emotional single builds on the album’s fearless spirit while pushing her pop vision into even bolder territory. Paired with plans for eye-popping live sets, elaborate handmade stagewear, and strange, wonderful surprises, “Keep You” carries forward Chayla’s gift for creating empowering synth pop that reaches your inner child, wraps you in resilience, and reminds you that anything is possible.