There are moments in music discovery that feel like opening a door to a whole new room you didn’t know existed. That’s exactly how it feels welcoming Vanna Pacella to this blog for the first time. Hailing from Cape Cod, USA, she steps into the indie-pop space with a disarmingly intimate and confidently assured voice. She writes like someone who has lived through the storm, taken notes in the rain, and now stands in the sun, speaking her truth with quiet power. “Periphery” released in June, is a shedding of old skin, and a declaration of self. Let’s talk about it below.
The track opens with a beautiful indie-pop shimmer; a warm, airy arrangement that gives you room to breathe. Then, she begins: “And for once, I can feel. Without your hands all over me. Without your plans to burden me.” Right away, we’re invited into a world where clarity has finally arrived. These opening lines set the tone for what “Periphery” is; a personal emancipation wrapped in melody. Vanna’s delivery is captivating. She doesn’t oversing or push, instead allowing her voice to glide effortlessly over the instrumentation. There’s a soft strength in her tone, the kind that makes you lean in closer rather than step back.
Her performance is understated but magnetic — she knows when to let the emotion swell and when to let it simmer. The chorus blooms gently, her phrasing giving each line a weight that lingers. You can hear in her delivery that this isn’t just a story she’s telling; it’s something she’s lived.
At it’s core, “Periphery” lives in that rare space between heartbreak and healing. It’s not about the pain of leaving, but about the peace that comes after — when you no longer feel the need to look back. Lyrics like “And you’re not in my periphery” and “I must unlearn your ways to grow” reveal the depth of her self-awareness, the work it takes to truly move forward. There’s no bitterness here, only the clarity that comes with distance.
Instrumentally, the song stays true to indie-pop sensibilities; lush but minimal, allowing every word and every breath to shine. The layering is subtle but effective, with just the right touches of reverb and harmonies to create a sense of openness. There’s a slight dream-pop haze that wraps around the track, making it feel like that first morning when you wake up and realize the weight is gone.
In “Periphery,” Vanna Pacella gives us a gift — a song for anyone who’s ever needed to reclaim themselves, to step out of someone else’s shadow and into their own light. It’s the sound of a page turning, of finally breathing without hesitation. And for a first introduction, she’s made it impossible not to want more.
Listen to ‘Periphery,’ on Spotify
Follow Vanna Pacella here for more information
