Absolutely has never been interested in coloring inside the lines. On Paracosm, the singer-songwriter builds a vivid inner world shaped by childhood imagination, emotional honesty, and creative freedom. What began as a moment of artistic burnout became a return to wonder, resulting in an album that feels playful, immersive, and deeply personal. In this conversation, Absolutely reflects on reconnecting with her younger self, finding liberation through songwriting, and why embracing imagination was the key to moving forward.

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Paracosm is rooted in the idea of imaginary worlds that we build as kids. When did you realize this album was about reconnecting with that childlike version of yourself rather than trying to grow up?

Absolutely: I’d already created the bulk of the album, and I was going into finishing mode, trying to find the missing pieces. For the first time in my life, it was really difficult—I was struggling to write songs. That was really abnormal for me because usually I’m quite prolific, and it comes so easily and naturally. It felt like I’d been creatively blocked.

My team and everyone were like, “Where’s the single? We need the single, we need the hit,” and those words just scrambled my brain. I started thinking so much about how people would perceive the songs—how do I create something people can understand? That mindset completely blocked me creatively.

I had to go back to the beginning, to when I first found my love for music as a child. In that space, I was so limitless and boundless. I just loved music, and I was playing around—it didn’t have to mean anything more than that.

So I looked back through that lens of childlike wonder, and that’s when I created some of the most special songs on the album. They added that playful, fantastical world. There are a lot of sounds and feelings inspired by movies I loved growing up, like Alice in Wonderland, Tim Burton films, and some Disney vibes. That’s really how the whole world was created.

The album opens with “Natural Disaster,” which immediately feels intense, emotional, and powerful. Why did that song feel like the right place to begin this journey?

A: It feels to me like the perfect “welcome to the world.” It transports you into the world, into another place. It draws you in, and suddenly you’re not on Earth anymore—you’re somewhere else.

“Nowhere to Hide” touches on being trapped inside your own thoughts. Was writing that song a form of release for you, or did it force you to confront parts of yourself you’d been avoiding?

A: That was the specific song I wrote just after I was experiencing that mental block. It was the song that broke the barrier. It felt like me tearing down the lies or the walls I’d built up and going back to the beginning again. So yeah, it was really cathartic to write.

“I Just Don’t Know You Yet” has resonated deeply with listeners around the world. How has seeing people connect with the song through their own stories changed your relationship with it?

A: It’s really beautiful. I didn’t expect it to be this impactful. When I was writing it, it was such an introspective moment—I wasn’t thinking about the wider impact at all.

Seeing how many people resonate with it, how it’s touched so many people, freed so many people, and given people hope and light—it’s really inspiring and reassuring. It’s nice to get positive feedback like that.

You started writing music so young alongside your dad in a home studio. Looking back, how do you think that early environment influenced the way you process your emotions through music today?

A: When I first started writing with my dad, I was really unable to to be honest. I don’t know why—maybe I was just really shy. I was definitely a shy and quiet child, even though I was very energetic. When it came to speaking and expressing my emotions, I kept everything mostly to myself.

I would watch him write songs, and he would help pull things out of me. We’d write words down together and figure out how to express what I was feeling. Eventually, one day, I kicked him out of the studio and started writing on my own. I found so much freedom in that.

I usually kept all my emotions bottled up, but that was the first time I was able to translate my thoughts so purely. I became obsessed with it—it felt like my freedom, my safe space, almost like my first language. It was the easiest way for me to express myself, and it still very much is. That’s really special to have.

Tomorrow, you release your album into the world. What do you hope listeners take away from it during their own moments of self-discovery?

A: I hope it sparks that same feeling of childlike wonder in people that it brought me while creating it. Growing up, life can lose a lot of the color it had when you were a child. I hope this album brings back some of that color, imagination, and wonder.

If your younger self could step into the world of Paracosm, what do you think she would recognize, and what would surprise her most?

A: I think she would feel very welcome. She would feel very seen and very safe there, and I think she’d be very proud of me. Proud of me for being able to express myself so freely. I think she’d think I’m really cool.

You spent years writing for other artists before fully stepping into your own solo identity. How did that transition influence the honesty and perspective you bring to Paracosm?

A: Being able to help tell other people’s stories made it easier to translate my own. I learned all the different ways people like to communicate things, picked up different experiences in the studio, found collaborators, and built my confidence as a songwriter.

I also learned what genres feel like me and what don’t.

My last question: if you could give one piece of advice to someone just starting out in their music career, what would you say?

A: For me personally, I used to see being an introvert or a quiet person as a weakness. But I’ve realized it can actually be a strength. I use it now to connect with people and relate to them.

Whatever you see as a weakness in yourself can become a strength, too

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