Some musicians write songs.

Some musicians create universe

Oakland, California–based artist SPELLLING belongs to the latter. Her music unfolds like a dream in constant motion—layered with electronic textures that feel beamed in from the future, ancient, ritualistic vocal chants, the warmth of soul, and an experimental instinct that pushes toward the unknown.

In her work, classical and contemporary sensibilities merge, while the experimental and the pop become endlessly entangled. She exists somewhere between these worlds, yet has created a sonic universe entirely her own: a world suspended between dreams, mythology, nature, and the future.

Redefining Art Pop for the 21st Century

If Björk once created, through music, a universe connecting nature, technology, and consciousness; and Kate Bush redefined the possibilities of pop through theatrical storytelling, role-playing, and an imagination far ahead of its time, then SPELLLING brings the legacies of both into the 21st century, continuing to expand the boundaries of art pop through her distinct perspective and aesthetic as a woman artist.

She carries forward Björk’s exploration of the possibilities of sound, while embracing Kate Bush’s fascination with fantasy and theatricality. At the same time, she resonates with a new generation of artists such as Caroline Polachek who have been redefining the boundaries of art pop in recent years—all of them constantly pushing the limits of what the human voice, melody, and pop structures can achieve.

But SPELLLING is no imitation of anyone who came before her. Her creative journey began in a deeply personal place.

School Ostracization + Loss of a Close Friend = A Drive to Create

Growing up in California’s Bay Area, Chrystia was exposed to the piano and a wide range of musical influences from an early age. She went on to attend the University of California, Berkeley, initially studying philosophy before switching to English literature after two semesters. As one of the few women and students of color in her department, she experienced a sense of exclusion and alienation within

the academic environment. Her literary training would go on to profoundly shape her creative practice: she continued writing poetry and fiction while composing melodies, with music becoming a medium through which these different forms of expression could converge.

In 2015, inspired by a San Francisco artist’s vocal looping performance and following the loss of a close friend, she began seriously dedicating herself to music, embarking on a sonic journey under the name SPELLLING. Working with limited equipment in her early recordings, she combined electronic sounds, vocals, and sparse arrangements to create an atmosphere that was hazy, mysterious, and rich with imagination.

One of Only 9 Worldwide: A Perfect 10/10

Self-proclaimed the “busiest music nerd on the internet,” renowned music critic Anthony Fantano has become one of the most influential voices in 21st-century music criticism through his YouTube review series The Needle Drop. Known for his prolific output and relentless exploration of new music from around the world, Fantano has long championed experimental, alternative pop, electronic, hip-hop, and independent music. Through his in-depth, highly personal album reviews, he has shaped the way millions of listeners around the world discover new music.

Under The Needle Drop’s notoriously demanding rating system, a perfect 10/10 is exceptionally rare. Across the 17 years since the show launched in 2009, only nine albums worldwide have received its highest possible score, including:

Charli XCX — Brat

Death Grips — The Money Store

Kendrick Lamar — To Pimp a Butterfly

And among these rare masterpieces is SPELLLING’s career-defining third album: The Turning Wheel.

The Turning Wheel was more than a radical stylistic transformation. More importantly, it is one of those rare records that allows listeners to truly hear an artist constantly challenging herself, pushing beyond her own boundaries, and continuing to excel throughout that process. SPELLLING emerged as a more vivid, expansive, and richly colored art-pop artist, while retaining an unmistakable sense of fantasy and artistic ambition. The album is fantastical, captivating, and at times even unsettling—an intensely immersive listening experience. In many ways, it feels like an exercise in world-building.Pitchfork also highlighted the evolution captured on the album, tracing SPELLLING’s journey from her early, hazy bedroom electronics toward a richer and more layered form of sonic storytelling. While her music has always embraced experimentation, this record proved that intricate arrangements, fantastical narratives, and pop expression could coexist. The Turning Wheel consequently became one of the defining works of experimental pop in recent years, bringing SPELLLING beyond the confines of the indie music world and into a much broader international spotlight.

In his heartfelt closing remarks, Anthony offered his final verdict:

"I can't say enough positive things about this album.

I think it's stunning and beautiful and moving, and, just great from start to finish.

Not only do I have little to no issue with it, but I'm blown away by it. I'm mega impressed with it in so many ways.

I think this record is the artistic equivalent of reaching for the stars and then just creating supernovas, squeezing them in your palms and crushing them.

I'm unequivocally feeling a 10 on this."

Special guest for: KGLW & Japanese Breakfast

It’s not only Weyes Blood who has recognized SPELLLING’s talent. Her work has earned admiration from many of her peers, most notably King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard (KGLW) and Japanese Breakfast, both of whom have invited her to join their tours as a special guest. These opportunities have brought SPELLLING to bigger stages while expanding the reach of her music and connecting her with new audiences.

This September, SPELLLING and her 3-piece band will depart from California for an exclusive three-day tour of China. Over the past five years, she has proven one thing: pop music can still be mysterious, complex, and unwilling to be understood at a glance. It can be like a dream—one that continues to resonate long after it ends.

Following experimental pioneer Lucrecia Dalt, So Ready is thrilled to bring another artist of such singular vision and experimental spirit, SPELLLING, to China for the first time. This will be an encounter with sound, imagination, and worlds yet unknown.

Welcome to the universe created by SPELLLING.