Everyone’s asked, “am I really good enough?” at some point in time. Isabel Dumaa did when she left her computer at home and handwrote part of an essay in cursive. Looking down at it, she wondered why cursive? Because it made her feel smarter.
That anecdote kicks off her debut single, “Call My Bluff”, where she explores how “imposter syndrome’s got the best of me.” Her direct lyrics feel like a conversation with a friend over social media. That could be why she’s already amassed tens of thousands of followers on TikTok. Her voice channels Gen Z energy into universal truths.
Over the warm, echoey chords, she builds a sonic rich world that’s sensitive and empathetic. There’s a hopeful undercurrent even when she confesses that she’s “scared that they will call my bluff.” Even the syncopated beats flutter like an uncaught thought bouncing away and revealing some dark, hidden truth.
But there’s an empowering side to the beat as well. We all trip up over our own insecurities, but that doesn’t mean we’re not good enough. “Call My Bluff” takes notes played at the “wrong time” and turns them into a catchy rhythm—a perfect example of not giving in to the dark thoughts of imposter syndrome.
Stream “Call My Bluff” below.
Ben is an advertising Madman who spends his days with words and music. When he’s not writing for his supper, he’s eating it at some of NYC’s most interesting restaurants.