Olie Beckett – Whiplash (2025)
Despite the exuberance of his innocent smile, 14-year-old Olie Beckett is one of those “old souls” belying refreshing youthfulness with sophisticated musical skills. Constantly surrounded by music, from his Mum’s humming to his Dad playing the radio in his office, Beckett discovered a raw passion for singing, songwriting and composition. Skip ahead to today, and he has experience with choirs, trained with music coaches, and fuses all that knowledge into intimate melodies. This is our introduction to the US-based artist, so join us as we delve into his single ‘Whiplash’.
Following his well-received 2024 tracks ‘Effortlessly’ and ‘Track 7’, ‘Whiplash’ is Beckett’s first step into 2025. Inspired by artists like Harry Styles and Ariana Grande, there is a powerful pop element to Beckett’s sound; however, his style is more eclectic than the simple radio-friendly pop song. Melding together slips of vintage jazz with synth-pop, RnB and a hit of hip-hop, ‘Whiplash’ oozes eccentricity as Beckett pushes the boundaries of genre.
Self-produced and recorded, ‘Whiplash’ encapsulates the brashness of synths and bold beats, with underlying maturity heard in skilled, trained piano – although the piano is actually a keyboard entwining modern-day electronic vibes and old-school composition. Interestingly, just the pulsating beats push the energetic Gen Z vibes, you can hear the professionalism of Beckett’s vocals clearly executing poetic lyricism with charming warmth. A special note needs to be given to the movement from pop flow to hip-hop attitudes showcasing Beckett’s versatility as a rapper and singer.
Take a quick look at Olie Beckett and you would hardly imagine his in-depth understanding of emotion and melody; he looks like that normal 14-year-old who spends too much time on YouTube or social media. Instead, ‘Whiplash’ indicates his maturity as a musician while retaining the spry, fresh-faced childishness intricately oozing raw emotion. As I mentioned, this is my introduction to Beckett, and based on ‘Whiplash’ is one of the most intriguing acts to cross our desk this year. I am eager to hear more from the talented artist.
Find out more about Olie Beckett on his official website, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Spotify.
Discover more pop music on The Other Side Reviews Pop playlist:
