Photo by: Scott Brennan
Northern Irish artist Susi Pagel taps into the nostalgic rush of Y2K pop-rock while giving it a heavier contemporary edge on ‘Part Of Me’, an emotionally charged new single that turns feelings of isolation and belonging into a full-throttle anthem.
From the moment the distorted guitars crash in, there is little doubt about Pagel’s intentions. ‘Part Of Me’ wears its early-2000s influences proudly, drawing on the melodic punch and rebellious energy associated with the likes of Paramore, The Pretty Reckless and Avril Lavigne, but avoids feeling like a simple exercise in nostalgia. The production adds enough weight and modern alternative-rock bite to make the track feel firmly rooted in the present.
At the heart of the song is a deeply relatable idea: the experience of never quite feeling as though you belong, followed by the transformative discovery of one person who makes everything suddenly feel a little less lonely. Pagel captures that emotional shift with remarkable directness, turning personal uncertainty into something listeners can easily project their own experiences onto.
“This is a track about never feeling like you fit in anywhere, and finding that one person who makes you feel like you do,” Pagel explains. That sentiment gives the song its emotional core, but it is the sheer force of the arrangement that makes the message hit home.
The track builds through dynamic verses and tension-filled pre-choruses before exploding into a towering chorus that practically demands to be screamed back at the speakers. The contrast gives ‘Part Of Me’ a satisfying sense of momentum, while the dense guitar work creates a wall of sound for Pagel’s vocals to cut through.
And those vocals are undoubtedly one of the single’s strongest elements. Silky yet powerful, Pagel’s delivery brings both polish and vulnerability to the performance. She never loses the emotional thread beneath the huge production, allowing every chorus to feel like a genuine release rather than simply a big pop-rock moment.
There is something particularly effective about the way Pagel balances heaviness with melody. The guitars provide the aggression, while the hooks keep the track accessible and instantly memorable. It’s the kind of song that can soundtrack both a cathartic bedroom singalong and an energetic festival set.
‘Part Of Me’ arrives as the latest preview of Pagel’s forthcoming Worry Dolls EP, and it offers a compelling indication of the emotional honesty running through the project. Her willingness to transform feelings of being lost, disconnected and uncertain into something uplifting gives the songs a cathartic quality that extends beyond their nostalgic aesthetic.
Rather than simply recreating the pop-rock of the early 2000s, Susi Pagel understands what made that era’s music so enduring: huge choruses, emotional immediacy and the freedom to turn complicated feelings into something you can shout along to.
With ‘Part Of Me’, she takes those ingredients and makes them her own. Loud, melodic and unapologetically heartfelt, it is a powerful statement from an artist increasingly finding her place, and, fittingly, creating music for anyone who has ever struggled to find theirs.
