Cailin Russo – Scare
Today, the Los Angeles-based artist and GRAMMY-nominated songwriter Cailin Russo announces her new EP SCARE due August 28th via 10k Projects (Ice Spice, SAILORR, Trippie Redd) along with sharing a new video for “X On My Chest,” co-produced by Cailin, Agnes Azria & Danes Blood (JT, Rico Nasty, YoungBoy Never Broke Again), co-written with Jesse Thomas (Meg Stalter, Troye Sivan, Kelly Clarkson), and with additional production by Albin Tengblad (GloRilla, FLO, Claudia Valentina).
SCARE is “the meat, the sacral part, it’s the climax of the scary movie… could only be released in this era of my life. There is a wildness, a conviction and a demand in every song. It’s a statement of intent – covering inner confidence with nasty production and a primal lust.
“X On My Chest” is a grimy, leather-bound, slow-strut track reminiscent of a down-tempo “Daddy AF” / early Slayyyter. As is in line with the rest of her career, Cailin continues to experiment with genre, swinging to this darker basement corner of things from previous ventures into upbeat indie rock (see her viral hit “Bad Things,” the single took off last year when it prominently featured on Heated Rivalry’s closing scene; it’s since taken up residence in Spotify’s Viral 50 Chart), the entrancing trip-hop pulse reminiscent of Portishead of “I Can’t Help You Now” and the American Cowboy/John Denver-inspired “Take Me Home” from her previous ep, DON’T. Across all aspects of Cailin’s sound, her distinct energy and ability to connect with her longtime fans remains. “X On My Chest” is no different.
Of the track, Cailin says, “‘The song lived as an x rated demo for almost 6 months when we decided to take it to Nashville to doctor it up with Jesse Thomas and Danes Blood. There we were really able to solidify the concept and color in the idea that x is that extra chemical (power puff girls reference). It’s the sauce that people can feel but can’t put their finger on. X marks the spot. I really wanted to make this song represent being that treasure and have people violently search and yearn for that ingredient.
The video (featuring longtime friend Siiickbrain and the song’s co-producer Agnes Azria) is further proof of her all around evolution as an artist. With stark contrast of black and white, Cailin colors the screen with a sophisticated grime: “I knew I wanted a disgusting visual along side it.”
With the influx of millions of new listeners (290% increase in total streams on Spotify, 380% increase on Apple, 1400% increase in Shazams, and millions of views on socials) appearances atop various charts (Spotify Viral 50, Billboard Emerging Artists, Shazam Most Viral), a grindr collab, and the attendant viral TikTok explanation, the surprise success of “Bad Things” has served as a table-setter for a year of artistic reinvention.
This overdue notoriety is just the latest twist in an artistic career that has continually defied convention. Cailin’s own distinct projects — including her fiery debut House with a Pool and the restlessly inventive INFLUX — have allowed her to take her combination of pop futurism, and punk poise to top festivals (Lollapalooza, Reading & Leeds) and on tour with Shygirl and Madison Beer. Adjacently, She’s recently been featured in Vogue, Wonderland, & more for her hand in the fashion side of things.
Her one-offs have had fascinating ripple effects: In 2025, her song “Triple It” became a TikTok sensation, with the likes of Julia Fox, Ellie Goulding, ADÉLA, and Suki Waterhouse all posting videos of themselves singing along. In 2021, she grabbed a GRAMMY nomination as a co-writer on Kanye West and The Weeknd’s “Hurricane.”
Cailin was already on the radar of pop luminaries like Rosalía, Slayyyter, and Addison Rae, but with the explosion of interest around “Bad Things,” 2026 is looking like a level-up year for an artist whose marriage of pop sensibility, imperious attitude, and genre-fluid sonics is ready for the moment
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