Collette Astle Rises From the Ashes with Soul and Sass in “Beauty Queen”
Stepping into your “queen energy” can look different for many women, ultimately, it is the reclamation of personal power. For independent singer, songwriter and producer Collette Astle, it’s shattering the ideas that people have placed upon her and her artistic journey. Astle writes gleaming confessionals touching on coming to terms with aspects of our lives that we can’t control and life continuing on after healing. The songstress’ work touches on the beauty of life that comes after healing where we find emotional fulfillment and success that already existed within ourselves – a sense of inner magic and personal freedom.
After a severe battle with depression that stemmed from going through a divorce and redefining her religious beliefs, Astle flourishes with grace and a bold prowess that can’t be silenced. Stepping into her new musical era with her five-inch platforms, a leather jacket and a fierce attitude, Astle adjusts her crown and rightfully reclaims her power as she has no issue fighting back the expectations placed on her.
The songstress’ latest single “Beauty Queen” is an empowering ballad that’s reminiscent of classic rock n’ roll riffs, an uplifting pop-rock beat and bittersweet melodies. Astle is up-front yet intimately in-your-face with her beautiful execution of vocal control and emotional storytelling. Her songwriting tells a story of uncovering a “glimmer of hope” after realizing she can handle whatever challenge life throws her way.
“Beauty Queen” was the first song Astle started writing after discovering a beautiful part of herself that fights back at the world and screams loudly with defiance. The songstress screams “Hellfire and holy water, I am my father’s daughter” throughout “Beauty Queen,” backed by strokes of personal deaths, rebirths and transformations of her emotional and artistic breakthroughs.
“The chorus came to me at a time in my life, it was the deepest depression I had ever been in my life and it was just this moment – like a glitter of hope – where I remembered that I was beautiful, that I was badass and I could handle whatever life was going to throw at me,” Astle says. “I think in my life, I’m perceived as this nice, pretty, quiet girl, but when life hit me hard, I realized that I can hit back. You’ll hear it in my lyrics. If something comes my way and tries to mess with me, I don’t have an issue fighting back.”
The accompanying music video isn’t all glitz and glam as the songstress is shown she isn’t afraid to get messy and upstage a man’s dominating presence. The video starts with Astle rocking a suit and tie, five-inch platforms and a sparkly tiara. The video takes on a fiery, defiant energy of its own as Astle puts on a brave smile on her face in the mirror and affirms her royal worth. The songstress isn’t afraid of causing a scene and avows she has multiple facets to her in the chorus, “I’m a good, clean, beauty queen, but I sure know how to make a mess out of you.”
“I had to stop crying and level up, remember who I was, learn how to stand up for myself and learn how to truly love all the parts of me – the good & the bad,” Astle says. “ I essentially had to remember I was a sassy badass underneath my quiet pretty girl persona, so ‘Beauty Queen’ was born.”
The inspiration behind the music video came to Astle after attending The Chicks concert. Before the concert started, the projector screen was playing music videos of iconic female-led rock groups from the 70s and 80s and it resonated with the songstress. Within “Beauty Queen” there is a tongue-in-cheek play of kings and queens playing cards. The music video was shot in New York and produced by Brian Russel Carey.
Astle’s roots remain grounded in her love for staple female rock n’ roll musicians such as Janis Joplin, Patti Smith and Pat Benatar, as she naturally gravitates towards artists who are “putting themselves out there.” Her lifelong immersion in classic rock seeps through her music with a stylized mix of earthy Americana and blues rock ballads. The music is timeless as she draws stylistic inspiration from female rock giants like Stevie Nicks and Linda Rondstadt.
“My voice was always different from the other girls around me,” Astle says. “I didn’t have a perfect choir voice. My voice naturally sits in a lower, more raspy tone, which I now realize is unique. Now, I’m grateful I naturally have the voice to sing the exact style of music that I love.”
For Astle, her songwriting serves as a form of therapy, as her songs are her deepest form of self-expression. With or without industry representation, music has always provided her comfort and sanity as Astle has flawlessly demonstrated her ability to cover various genres, yet the throughline that connects them is her trademark, electric rock roots and vintage melodies.
“Beauty Queen’s” catchy guitar figure and Astle’s deep, expressive singing catch the listener’s attention throughout the song. Her lyrics and imagery are powerful statements as she conveys the tenderness and vulnerability of the storytelling through an exciting melody and song form.
“The song also touches on themes of how women are often underestimated because of their outside appearance,” Astle says. “I have felt [in career situations & in situations with men] underestimated like I’m just some pretty artistic girl who doesn’t know what’s going on. While I might look like a beauty queen, there’s a lot of stuff going on with me underneath that.”
“Beauty Queen” is the first song out of the next chapter of Astle’s life, as the last two years were characterized by a journey of learning how to step into her queen energy of no longer making herself small and digestible around insecure men to make them feel comfortable. Throughout the creation of “Beauty Queen,” Astle learned who deserves her kindness and who deserves her middle finger, but ultimately, believing in the possibility of love and trust again after undergoing a massive heartbreak.
Astle’s storytelling skills and musical instincts are as strong as ever on “Beauty Queen” since her 2021 Collette Astle album. The self-titled record touches on themes of overcoming heartbreak, finding empowerment through healing and taking back her identity. Religious themes and imagery can be heard throughout as Astle tackles departing the LDS faith. The album features Astle’s staple hit “White Boots” as it gives female listeners an empowering attitude and a sense of liberation around sexuality and fun. The self-titled record includes soulful tracks “Joy & Pain” and “What They Taught Me,” both confessional and heart wrenching melodies that hit on the songstress’ growing pains of self-acceptance.
“I always try to lead with love and kindness, but I learned some hard lessons in my life and I learned that sometimes people aren't kind and I don't have to return bad energy with good vibes, like I'm allowed to stand up for myself and have boundaries,” Astle says. “Throughout my self love journey, I learned to love all of the parts of me that make me myself – good parts of me and not so good parts of me.”
There’s always been a fierce fire burning within Astle’s music, as she’s achieved a tremendous amount of emotional power and resilience through her confessional, diary-like storytelling. As a mantra to herself, the songstress says she reminds herself that her art is valuable and the songs she writes represent herself. “Beauty Queen” serves as a representation for Astle being her own biggest advocate.
“I want to understand people and I want to be understood, so my drive to make my music and my art isn’t really driven by external validation,” Astle says. “It’s more of an internal purpose.”
Astle excels at delivering the dark with the light, the good with the bad.
“Generally, I just want to encourage people to be the best version of themselves,” Astle says. “I think that’s why I love ‘Beauty Queen’ so much, because it feels like the most me song that I’ve ever made. I hope people feel empowered to step into their savage side and know that whatever people may perceive you to be, you don’t have to be trapped into that and you’re allowed to stand up for yourself, speak up and get a little messy.”
Collete Astle’s eclectic, classic rock sound, interlaced with her vibe and dominating presence is a statement of her songs serving as the deepest and truest form of her self-expression.
