Upon first glance at senior Dalea Campbell, her bold makeup, unconventional outfits, and spiky accessories would make you think he’s an interesting person, but under that intimidating, cool exterior, there is an even more interesting artist.
Campbell makes music under the artist name Korpsve, a name that her boyfriend who goes by the artist name “Bel” came up with. She is a verified artist on Spotify, with 127 monthly listeners. She has one album, “Re: Anastäsia” and 22 singles, all released in 2023.
While all of this is impressive, it’s even more impressive is that Campbell is entirely self-taught. She has been making music for around two years. In this time, she has taught herself tons of skills.
“I make my own beats, my own lyrics, all of that. All independent,” said Campbell. “Recently, my boyfriend started helping me produce and make the cover art for the songs. It’s been a lot of help not doing everything by myself because in the music industry, doing everything by yourself won’t really get you far. I’m really glad that he decided to collaborate with me so many times, and if it wasn’t for him, I’d probably still be at 20 plays.”
Because of the experimental nature of her music, it can be hard for some people to understand what she is trying to achieve with her artistry.
“It’s only a certain number of people that get what I’m trying to put out there,” said Campbell. “I also make things that are different, not mainstream.”
Campbell’s music definitely doesn’t feel mainstream and isn’t for everyone. It can be hard to categorize exactly what genre it fits into, so Campbell thinks of it as a unique style.
“I do not make hyperpop,” said Campbell. “If anything, I make more of a house and rave-type sound. The name of the sound I personally created is called ‘Kovffin.’ It’s composed of many different styles that I made, simply more dark or complex. Me and my boyfriend made this, and it’s still being worked on till this day!”
Many of Campbell’s songs have hundreds of plays on Soundcloud and thousands of plays on Spotify, but she hasn’t always received such positive feedback.
“At first people were like ‘this is trash, I don’t like this,’ but when I started seeing patterns and learning how to actually form a good song, people liked it,” said Campbell.
No matter how you want to label Campbell’s music, it is hypnotic. All of her songs have a grainy, electronic sound, and mixed with her pitched-up vocals and strong beats, the songs evoke the feeling of flashing lights, vivid dreams, and the overstimulation of the internet.
Whether Campbell intends it or not, her music is a response to the digital age. Her songs feature layered vocals and melodies, creating a stimulating experience. This is grounded by the rhythmic beats that underscore most of her songs, keeping the listener engaged. Compare this with the experience of scrolling on Instagram – the constant stimulation and the difficulty of pulling away – and it isn’t hard to see the similarities.
This serves the music well. You can feel the emotions Campbell is trying to portray in each song through the digital elements, even if the lyrics don’t always spell it out.
“Moods are what inspire what I make,” said Campbell. “Some songs I’ll make upbeat and happy for when you’re in the car driving, and then there are songs I make that are like ‘I’m not really in the mood for today, I’m kinda feeling this song, it’s kind of mellow.’ That’s how I usually produce my songs.”
With all of Campbell’s impressive and experimental mixing, most people would think that she uses fancy technology, but this isn’t the case.
“I make all of my music on my phone,” said Campbell. “Surprisingly, people say that it sounds like I’m using computers and stuff, but I just use my phone and my little speaker in my room and that’s pretty much it.”
Her song “Wantd2E(nd),” is a highlight in her discography. The production quality is very high, almost at the level of big artists. The beat is strong, and the melodic quality of the music can make it appealing even to people who don’t like more experimental music.
Another strong track is “if you’re reading this… it’s too late.” The euphoric track is layered under a bass-heavy beat, almost like a heartbeat, which makes it perfect for house music.
“It shines a light on all the heartbreak I’ve been through and how I see my worth in the end of the tunnel,” said Campbell.
Campbell said she is most proud of her song “CYBER GODDESS,” which features a bubbly backtrack, reminiscent of vintage video games with Campbell’s sharp vocals.
“It’s recent and I put a lot into it. From my two-ish years of working on music, this shows all my progress up till now with production and my voice,” said Campbell.
Campbell was drawn to music from a young age, but she didn’t start making music until high school. She uses music to express her feelings and find people who relate to her experiences.
“I got into it after a very hard time in my life, and I had seen how music made me feel good, so I was like ‘let me make music for people that feel the same way as I do,’” said Campbell.
Another major reason Campbell began making music was because she was influenced by other people. Internet friends as well as more popular artists inspired her to use music to express herself. One major inspiration for her was American singer-songwriter, SZA.
“SZA first started with this unique sound that no one really listened to, and years later she made this song called ‘Kill Bill’ that literally everybody listens to,” said Campbell. “It really inspired me. I don’t want to be popular or famous, but I want to make an impact that’s good.”
In the two years that Campbell has been making music, her music has become more unique and feels more true to herself. Even when comparing Campbell’s earlier released songs to her most recent releases, you can hear the growth in the production quality and creativity.
Campbell isn’t sure whether she will continue pursuing music after high school but no matter what she chooses to do, the progress she has made is admirable and the music she has released is very impressive.
“Don’t quit. It’s going to be very hard, but nothing worthwhile is easy. Don’t quit on yourself unless it gets to the point where it’s destroying your life. Keep going and push yourself and make new things because it’s going to be beautiful when you look back on it.”
