Amelia McLean Cuts Deep With Cinematic New Single “Dark Days”

Los Angeles’ own Amelia McLean isn’t playing it safe; she’s ripping pages out of her own life and turning them into anthems. Her latest single, “Dark Days," is the kind of track that doesn’t just sit in the background; it grabs you by the chest and makes you feel every ounce of it.

“Dark Days” is cinematic pop at its core, but it’s not just pretty production. It’s grief. It’s identity. It’s standing at the edge of change and deciding you’re not gonna collapse, you’re gonna rise. The sweeping arrangement and gut-punch lyrics make it feel bigger than just a song. It’s therapy dressed up as a movie soundtrack.

This single is the second taste of McLean’s debut album, Frowned Upon Daughter, dropping this October. And let’s be clear: this isn’t some half-baked pop record. It’s a two-year grind of self-funding, traveling, and bleeding into every note. With heavyweight producer Justin Glasco (Paris Paloma, Rufus Wainwright) and guitarist David Levita (Alanis Morissette, Lana Del Rey) in the mix, the sound is rich, cinematic, and unapologetically raw.

Amelia herself sums it up: the album is a stream-of-consciousness reflection on an “absurd upbringing.” Translation: she’s airing the stuff most of us keep buried, and somehow making it sound gorgeous.

It’s personal but universal. Whether you’ve dealt with grief, identity shifts, or are just trying to claw your way out of your own dark days, this hits. Amelia’s not whispering her story, she’s amplifying it, and daring you to feel it too. If “Dark Days” feels this massive, imagine the weight the full album’s about to carry.

Catch her live before the world catches on, Amelia hits Sofar Sounds LA on September 19 to preview more from Frowned Upon Daughter.