Citing doo wop harmonies alongside Kanye West-styled hip-hop beats as formative influences, singer/songwriter Stela Cole brings her own stylish and attitude-driven approach to pop. Based in Nashville, she first surfaced in 2018 with the angsty breakup anthem “You F O,” which twisted jump-rope chants and nursery rhymes into an angrier yet still catchy brand of cathartic pop. That same year she issued the five-song EP Throwing Up Butterflies, and she later delivered her debut album Woman of the Hour in 2020 before releasing the 2024 EP IDWYB: The Prequel while preparing her second full-length project.
Born and raised in the small Atlanta suburb of Peachtree City, Georgia, Cole showed more interest in sports than music during childhood and continued playing soccer until an injury redirected her toward piano and songwriting. In her late teens she relocated to Nashville, immersed herself in the local scene, and honed both her vocal approach and songcraft. After beginning to upload material online in 2017 she quickly secured a deal with RCA Records, which put out “You F O” as her debut single that summer. A fuller realization of her blend of girl group, barbershop, and widescreen pop elements arrived with Woman of the Hour in 2020, after which she issued the standalone singles “I Shot Cupid” in 2021 and “Roses” in 2023. Fresh tracks shared throughout 2024 were gathered into the June release IDWYB: The Prequel, which featured the song “Feel It Again.”
