Lichfield teenage pop star Belle's bouncing back from life's challenges

After all, the Lichfield teenager has had to overcome early challenges in life.

She is home educated after being bullied as a child at school but it's such an experience that has given her inner steel – and now she's determined and ready to take the music industry by storm.

"I want my music to be empowering and I'm just trying to be myself," she says. "As a teenager, I just think people should feel they can be themselves."

"I was bullied when I was younger, which led to me being home-schooled. Through that bullying experience, I have found I don't want to be a pupil pleaser and I don't think anyone else should be."

Her first release Run follows the theme in a sense as she wrote it for her brother Charlie, aged 9, when he faced similar challenges.

"He was being left out at school, teased and stuff," she recalls. "As an older sister, my protective mode kicked in and I just desperately wanted to let him know that I’ll forever and always be there for him, no matter the circumstances!’

"His reaction was funny when he heard it was written about him. He just said a chirpy 'thanks Belle and walked off!'.

Belle says she hopes here songs are powerful and uplifting, with a strong message of kindness and hope.

"The music can be quite angsty and there's an urgency to it. It's a bit Avril Lavigne crossed with Olivia Rodrigo and also takes influence from the likes of Maisie Peters and Holly Humberstone."

Belle has already written a large collection of songs, drawing on her experiences of growing up and healing after traumatic experiences.

It's perhaps not surprising that she has taken a path towards music as her mum Anna made a name for herself in the 1990s as pop star Lolly, who had a string of top-ten hit, and still performs now.

"I've always loved music," Belle adds. "I never wrote music when I was younger. It was more poetry and writing a diary.

"But over the years I have intertwined it and during lockdown I found a passion for music and it's been liberating for me to express myself in writing songs.

"I started writing songs when I was 13 and, with the pandemic, there was a lot of time to grow.

"But, even so, if I could tell 13-year-old Belle that she'd one day be releasing her first single, I don't think she'd believe it!

"I am really ecstatic. I haven't fully wrapped my head around it yet but I am excited."

Belle is grateful to her mum for her support – "She has given me great guidance. She'd probably prefer me to be a doctor or something but that's not going to happen!"

But Anna is genuinely thrilled for her daughter and the fact she has an opportunity to show off her creativity.

Anna added: "You always worry as a parent but as long as your child is happy, that's the most important thing in life."

"Music is a great way for Belle to express herself. It can be mad in our home. We have Charlie beat-boxing in one room and Belle in belting out songs at the top of her voice in the other. The poor neighbours! We just sit outside in our little shed!

"I am very proud of her though. This music is very her and feels so organic.

"From an early age, she's loved singing, especially rock/pop so this feels like a natural transition and her voice lends really well to it.

"When they are little, you introduce your kids to lots of different activities – from tennis, to the flute, or whatever – and you see what makes them happy.

"You can't push the creative side or you get a very robotic person and not a real artist. It would be fake.

"We have let her grow and, for me, there's no one like her at the minute, so it's the start of a journey for her."

Belle's new single Run is out now.