Clarissa Mae releases her debut, the love songs EP, on 18 September 2026 via Origins Inconclusive. Across five tracks, the London-based Filipino British singer-songwriter turns romantic uncertainty and the insecurities of growing up into intimate pop, with new songs “translate” and “bed crumbs” widening its sound.
There’s an appealing lack of distance between Clarissa and the stories she tells. The title track began with a dream about a boyfriend pulling away, captured in a bedroom recording while the feeling was still fresh. “shy” reaches back further, using childhood photographs as the starting point for a letter to her younger self. The details are personal; the fear of rejection is easy to recognise.
“anyway” is a good place to start. Its light, guitar-led arrangement and bossa nova-influenced pulse sit around the uncomfortable feeling of being someone’s second choice. A video filmed on her mum’s 1990s camcorder adds to the song’s homemade warmth. That combination of an easygoing setting and a less settled emotional centre gives Clarissa’s writing an inviting way in.
“translate” adds a warmth that recalls Clairo, turning its attention to misunderstandings and the difficulty of getting through to someone. It fits naturally alongside the EP’s personal, reflective songwriting.
“bed crumbs” blows things open. An explosive pop-rock cut driven by a huge bassline, funk-heavy grooves and big drums, it brings live instrumentation to the foreground, with KDYN on backing vocals. It’s a standout moment for the EP, and a bold expansion of its sound.
The love songs EP tracklist: “love songs”, “anyway”, “translate”, “bed crumbs”, “shy”.
Listen to Clarissa Mae’s the love songs EP: https://hypeddit.com/clarissamae/thelovesongsep
