Cappa Confronts Lover’s Toxicity With “Fatal”

Cappa isn’t usually one to take a song title and build around it. But the word “Fatal,” saved in her phone’s notes app, wouldn’t shake itself loose. “It’s actually the opposite of how I usually create songs but made for a nice challenge,” says the rising pop star.

You act like a little boy cause you can’t talk, she sings, almost seething. About your feelings / You pick apart what I wear / And who I’m with / I know you hate to go below the surface shit.

Written with Eric Leva, Jesse Thomas, and producer Chris Lyons, over one fateful afternoon, “Fatal” worms its away into the brain with a sticky melody and detonating lyrics. Cappa frames “a relationship where the other person never takes the time to see something from your point of view and can never say they’re sorry” for the overarching storyline, Cappa tells American Songwriter. “It was like a mini therapy session to channel these feelings into a song. I think ‘Fatal’ can be related to experiences we’ve all been through, whether in relationships, in friendships or with bosses.”

“I try not to be too precious about that process anymore, as I think oftentimes the best songs come out when they just flow out of you. It doesn’t always have to be a difficult process,” she continues. “I always knew that I wanted [this song] out in the world, so it feels good to get it out there.”

Anchored with an organic foundation, “Fatal” dishes up a largely hushed production and arrangement, leaving the lyrics to be untethered and unruly. Would you really just die / Ah, to see it from my point of view / Would it be fatal for you, she sings with a penetrating glare.

“Fatal” is the latest in a long string of singles over the last year, including “Contact High,” “Colder,” and “There with You Baby.” Cappa began causing a stir in the pop scene back in 2015 and slowly trickled out music in the coming years, from the notable “I’m Good” in 2016 to the monstrously addicting “Tension” (2018) and “I Do” (2019).

“Fatal” samples a forthcoming EP, slated for an April release.

Listen to “Fatal” below.

Photo by Julia Cox