Los Angeles-based indie pop artist BEL shares her reflections on the journey to her cinematic debut album, *Holy Grail*. This album is a heartfelt, victorious narrative about pursuing dreams, grappling with doubt, demonstrating resilience, and the shift from thinking in terms of "if" to "when." As a recognized Atwood Artist-to-Watch and an emerging voice in the indie music scene, BEL infuses her work with a unique blend of vulnerability and imagination, uncovering the challenging, hopeful, and profoundly human experience of believing in something before it is recognized by others, while learning to trust the journey she is on.
*Holy Grail* has always been associated with dreamers—the seekers pursuing something radiant and unattainable, fully aware that the journey may demand everything from them, yet choosing to embark on it regardless. Its legend is founded on equal parts obsession and hope: knights searching through darkness for a glimpse of meaning; pilgrims risking it all for an unnameable promise; explorers clinging to a vision prior to any evidence of its existence. The Holy Grail symbolizes the insatiable drive that propels you forward, the belief that what you are striving for is worth the struggles, uncertainty, heartache, and years of effort—it's a desire refined into intent, a relentless drive toward a destiny that may seem out of reach but is not worth giving up.
BEL's debut album captures this yearning, translating the relentless chase of the Grail into songs filled with desire, doubt, and the determination to persevere. Appropriately named *Holy Grail*, it's one of those rare albums that does not merely document a dream; it embodies it fully.
The album unfolds like a modern hero's journey, navigating the delicate balance between ambition and exhaustion, hope and heartbreak, longing and self-actualization. It is born from a backdrop of uncertainty and reconstructed through determination, formed over years of quiet persistence, false starts, small miracles, and a robust belief held even when progress seems stalled.
For long-time fans, witnessing this artistic evolution feels almost mythical. Atwood Magazine first recognized BEL as an Artist-to-Watch in 2020, and over the past five years, she has transitioned from a budding folk-pop artist penning songs in her childhood room—while her parents urged her toward grad school—to a fully developed storyteller with a voice that penetrates through the noise. Following the release of three critically acclaimed EPs and a journey of creative exploration and self-discovery, *Holy Grail* represents the pinnacle of that evolution: a cinematic, deeply introspective self-portrait grounded in trust, letting go, and the courageous act of persevering when stopping seems easier.
The songs on the album vividly illustrate this arc. "I Want" transforms the subtle pain of longing into a slow-burning revelation, balancing the tension between "maybe it’s enough" and "I want it all again, again, again," as BEL layers desire upon desire over a warm, gently shimmering groove. "Amor" showcases her bilingual roots, serving as a Spanglish daydream that captures the essence of manifesting love in real-time, while "Fresh Start" radiates gratitude and bittersweet liberation—a glowing tribute to friendships, change, and choosing optimism despite painful farewells.
The track's centerpiece is the nearly titular "Holy Grail"—a gentle giant that transitions from intimate introspection to something quietly anthemic, with pedal steel and warm textures enveloping her voice as she croons about doing "whatever it takes to get to the holy grail." Meanwhile, the deeper cuts of *Holy Grail* reveal more layers of Whelan's songwriting: "Only Want You" channels the raw intensity of an all-consuming infatuation, whereas "Look It Up" offers a cathartic, energized release that lets a bit of anger surface in the best way.
The closing track "Parachute" sends the album off on a high note, transforming free-fall into faith as she repeats, "I know what I’m looking for, I just gotta look some more to find it"—a hopeful resolution that feels more like a promise to continue searching rather than an ending.
Collectively, these songs paint a picture of an artist learning to embrace her own desires—not by suppressing them, but by seeking to understand them. As Isabel Whelan describes, this is an album about "learning to land on a when instead of an if," a phrase that encapsulates the album's theme and defines her progress. Across these twelve tracks, BEL pursues the unattainable, faces the pressures of contemporary artistry, rekindles childhood aspirations, and begins to believe—perhaps for the first time—that she is exactly where she should be.
With *Holy Grail* now available, BEL conversed with Atwood Magazine about the album’s creation, the years leading up to this moment, and the aspirations that propel her forward. Read our
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Los Angeles-based indie pop artist BEL shares her thoughts on the lengthy and intricate journey towards her cinematic debut album, Holy Grail. This album serves as a heartfelt and victorious story of pursuing dreams, overcoming uncertainties, demonstrating resilience, and learning to focus on “when” rather than “if.” A recognized Atwood artist-to-watch and an emerging talent in the indie scene, BEL offers a distinctive combination of vulnerability and creativity in her music. She sheds light on the complicated, hopeful, and profoundly human experience of believing in something before others see it, all while learning to have faith in the journey she's on.