Born in New Jersey but raised in London since the age of two, OLI (Olivia Masek) has built her career on balancing contrasts, building cinematic soundscapes with intimacy, American directness with British poise. After her acclaimed debut When It All Goes Quiet, which featured collaborations with Zara Hudson-Kozdoj and even Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan, she now returns with her latest single, “Can’t Do It Right,” released September 5, 2025. Known for her melancholic, moody pop, OLI pushes things further this time, with a late-night anthem about the inevitability of imperfection and the strangely liberating act of surrendering to it.
The track eases in with a glowing synth pulse, like headlights piercing through fog. Soon, the drums tumble in with a steady, unhurried groove. With her husky, rich voice, she sings defeatedly. Supporting her are layered harmonies that drift like mist. The atmosphere is expansive and fragile, suspended between motion and stillness.
Lyrically, “Can’t Do It Right” is brutally plainspoken, beneath which lies a heavier, continual agony. She sings, “’Cause no one tells you when you’re right / They’ll all tell you when you’re wrong,” speaking to the invisibility of success, how validation so often comes too late, if at all. It’s not just about making mistakes, but about the loneliness of moving through life without recognition, until suddenly absence makes people notice. So she resignedly sings, “When I’m wrong, all alone, and I know / I just can’t do it right,” with the looping thoughts of self-doubt echoing in the mind.
Listen to “Can’t Do It Right” by OLI on Spotify to learn that imperfection, too, has its own rhythm.
STAY IN TOUCH:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | SPOTIFY | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE
Review by: Naomi Joan