16-year-old budding pop sensation Sydney <3 is ready to introduce herself to the world with electric feel-good anthem “Picture Perfect.” Hailing from Toronto, Ontario, the artist is known for a unique sound that adeptly blends the soaring synths of Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers with Korean pop music, bridging the sonic gap between Taylor Swift and MAMAMOO.
Collaborating with 5x Grammy Award Winner Orlando Calzada (known for his work with Lady Gaga, One Direction, and Destiny’s Child), and produced by Adam Hurstfield, Sydney <3 recorded “Picture Perfect,” her first ever single, in both English and Korean, with the latter translation of the song was done by noteworthy names in the K-Pop world: Seung-Hyun Kim (MC the Max, Lee Eun Mee) and Kang Minseo (BASTIONS, JTBC Girls on Fire).
The track is a certified pop earworm tied together by a heartfelt message that’s sure to resonate with young audiences: the mental fallout from unrealistic societal expectations brought forth by social media — and what we can do to move forward despite.
While this may be her first record, Sydney <3 is far from an overnight success. The multi-faceted young artist’s musical journey is ten thousand hours in the making, beginning at the young age of three. She started off with classical training in dance (learning ballet, jazz, hip-hop, and tap), before taking up both piano and guitar. Then, inspired by the Pitch Perfect films, she learned how to DJ and also had the opportunity to train vocally with Cara Chisholm, known for her work in Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, as well as with Canadian rockstar Don Wolf.
Her strong work ethic and raw talent paid off: Sydney <3 soon caught the attention of Adam Hurstfield, a world-famous music producer known for his work with the likes of Ray J, Ne-Yo, and DJ Khaled as well as K-Pop artists such as Super Junior, Girls Generation, TVXQ, BoA, and Lee Hyori. Adam worked tirelessly to help Sydney <3 learn the foundations of songwriting and recording, and they eventually made three singles together, all mixed by Calzada and slated for a 2024 release.
“Picture Perfect,” the first of those tracks, is an addictive listen in both English and Korean and is rooted in strong themes that hold a special place in Sydney <3's heart.
Listen on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/artist/0nlD8bXf7Cm1xZaIA3jGAZ
“It’s about the struggles of seeing things on social media and setting unrealistic goals for yourself, then realizing it doesn’t really matter,” the artist explains. “I want people who listen to this song to feel like they’re not alone. No one’s life is actually that perfect — you’re fine the way you are. You don’t have to change or make it seem like everything is amazing all the time.”
With hard-hitting lyricism and a catchy, bubblegum pop-suffused hook, “Picture Perfect” is a compelling listen — and the perfect introduction to a young, bubbling under artist sure to be on everyone’s radar sometime very soon. Be sure to check out the K-Pop single package when it’s released on January 26th and the alternate pop versions - slated to arrive three weeks later - wherever you stream music.
