Each Measure Feature: LEEDY

FEATURE

LEEDY picked the right title for her single. “Haunting” is the only word to the describe it.

In 2025, the Midwest-born singer released “Haunted,” an eclectic pop song that explores the darker sides of love and lust.

It’s not her latest single – that would be “arden,” which came out on April 2nd – but “Haunted” represents the perfect introduction to her innovative and emotionally nuanced approach to the pop genre.

LEEDY’s work has earned her comparisons to pop juggernauts like Billie Eilish, SZA, and Kehlani, and like all of these artists, she has mastered the instrument of her voice, with a rich, full-bodied soprano that never falters. It’s exactly the kind of soulful voice that her tale of dangerous love demands.

Speaking of which, LEEDY has also mastered the art of having an edge. In keeping with its title, “Haunted” is darker and more ironic than your average pop song. It’s uplifted by a note of tension and conflict that makes it memorable. LEEDY herself describes the track as a story of “the inner turmoil of being ensnared in an unhealthy bond, exploring the thrill of forbidden connections and the subsequence wreckage that follows.” She puts in much more evocative terms with lyrics like, “I’m addicted to this taboo,” and “It’s wrong, but I want it,” which use pop simplicity and directness to capture the familiar sensation of being drawn to the very thing you can’t have.

LEEDY offers more than raw talent and emotional depth. She’s also a very musically informed and technically gifted artist. On the single, she complements her haunting lyrics with an equally haunting soundscape, drawing from such diverse influences as bossa nova, R&B, and hard rock. I’ve always thought that bossa nova was underrepresented in the pantheon of pop music, so the minor key bossa nova guitar drew me in the from the start. 

Note by note, the musical elements build gradually upon one another, and the effect is a slow, sensual built befitting of LEEDY’s femme fatale delivery. It’s a sexy piece of music, but it comes with a liberal dose of angst and conflict, and that’s exactly what makes it so irresistible.

The takeaway: music is a little more fun when it’s forbidden. Like a toxic love affair, it hits harder when it hurts.

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