New York's Edgy Princess Comet Goes Darker on "Screw"

NYC alt-rock artist Comet is back with her new single “Screw,” a sharp left turn into darker, industrial-inspired territory.

Kyriakos Tarassidis ©

Out now with an accompanying video, the track was produced by Angel Prost and mastered by Lulu Prost of Frost Children, marking another evolution in Comet’s genre-bending catalog.

“‘Screw’ is about giving in. It’s inspired by 90s goth rock/industrial — Angel and Lulu brought a heavy fresh edge to the song it wouldn’t have had otherwise,” Comet explains. “My friend S4m23 also helped with the drum production — she gave them the wax trax sound I was looking for.” The result is guttural and ghostly yet charged with the raw warmth that has become her signature.

The single arrives amidst Comet’s run opening for Taraneh’s nationwide tour, a stretch that has already impacted her artistry. “I’ve only done a few dates so far but getting to actually meet people that like my music is so healing. I take all of that home,” she says.

While her last EP Quitter leaned into pop-rock and earned much praise, “Screw” feels like a reset. “Big departure but it’s all still me,” she admits. The push into industrial rock reflects her refusal to be boxed in: “I listen to a lot of different music. I try not to get caught up in the end goal of how I would want the music described. I just do what sounds good. I get sick of writing all one kind of song though, so I move around.”

Comet attributes her collaborative spirit to the circle around her. “They’re just my friends and I’m blessed to have genius friends. I look for ears when working with any producer. If we listen to music together and I hate what you play, it won’t work,” she says, noting past work with boysinblush and Richard Orofino.

Influences for this new chapter include Kanye West, Scarling, and Darling Violetta, but her inspiration reaches further: “Also the New Orleans red light district: Storyville, DIY medical procedures, Tubercuslosis and Theda Bara.”

Though often linked to the NYC underground, Comet sees the city’s influence more in community than sonics. “It is central as far as my friendships and what I listen to, but there’s not really anyone in the scene I sonically take from on purpose. New York is magic, the history is so painted over again and again, and it’s fun trying to find the thread you hold onto to join the lineage of the city.”

Looking ahead, she promises her next project will go even further. “The album will be darker but less mopey. There’s high points but it still aches,” she says. For now, “Screw” sets the tone. When asked what she hopes listeners feel pressing play, her answer is immediate: “Sexy and free.”

Listen to the new single below.