Charlotte OC returns with bittersweet anthem "Start Of Summer"

Following the acclaim surrounding her deeply personal EP ‘Seriously Love, Go Home’, Blackburn-born artist Charlotte OC returns with her most infectious and immediate single yet - but 'Start Of Summer' hides something deeper beneath its sun-drenched surface.

All shimmer and open skies sonically, “Start Of Summer” feels made for rolled-down windows and golden hour - a song built around warmth, longing and quiet emotional release that finds Charlotte at her most vulnerable and reflective yet.

“This song is about the ever-present longing I have for my father,” Charlotte explains. “He absolutely loved being in the sun and being as tanned as humanly possible. Whenever I picture him, he’s in the garden, covered in factor 15, with a glass of whiskey by his feet and a border collie by his side.

“I wanted the song to carry a sense of optimism, because that’s how he always was when summer was around the corner, knowing that tan would soon be his again. It felt important to hold onto that lightness alongside everything else. It’s about not knowing what to do with all the love you still have for someone. Not knowing how to handle grief, and finding yourself replaying conversations that will forever feel unfinished.”

The single continues the emotional honesty and cinematic songwriting that has defined Charlotte OC’s recent creative rebirth. Balancing intimacy with a widescreen atmosphere, the single feels both deeply personal and universally resonant; a meditation on grief that refuses to lose sight of warmth, memory and hope.

The release follows a remarkable run of momentum for Charlotte, whose recent singles “God, We Tried”, “Romeo” and “Cider and Black” all received strong support from DJs across BBC Radio 2, including 2 playlists. Beyond radio, her latest material has found a growing international audience through Spotify’s New Music Friday playlists across the UK, Germany, Switzerland and India.

Live highlights over the past year have included showcases at SXSW London, performances for BBC Introducing, a German headline tour spanning Munich, Hamburg and Berlin, plus an acoustic session for German broadcaster ZDF.

Born to an Irish father and half-Indian, half-Malawian mother, Charlotte OC has long built her music around emotional truth and fearless vulnerability. Following years of personal upheaval, including the devastating loss of her father, her recent work has emerged with a renewed sense of clarity and catharsis, blending raw storytelling with a voice capable of moving from smoky intimacy to soaring release in an instant.

Warm, aching and impossible to shake, “Start Of Summer” is Charlotte OC at her most complete - a song that sounds like joy and feels like everything underneath it.

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