The soft pop-rock anthem channels real-life school experiences into a message of confidence and individuality
Singer-songwriter €LLA released her new single, “Stupid Games,” on August 21, 2026. The song offers a first look at the direction of her upcoming EP and comes from a very real experience in her life.
The idea for “Stupid Games” started after €LLA found herself dealing with people at school who were rude to her and others. After attending an Olivia Rodrigo concert one night, she woke up the next morning inspired to write about what she had been feeling.
“Some people at school were being a bit rude to me and I felt like I was playing a stupid game,” €LLA says. “They thought being rude to me and other people was just a game. They didn’t understand what they were doing wrong.”
While the song comes from a personal experience, €LLA wanted to create something that other people could see themselves in.
“I would describe ‘Stupid Games’ as a soft pop rock anthem for people who feel like they’ve had enough,” she says. “I hope listeners feel like they can be unapologetically themselves and confident in their own skin.”
€LLA worked on the song with singer-songwriter Katey Brooks, who co-wrote the track using €LLA’s original ideas for the lyrics and melody. Jeremy Rompala produced the song.
For €LLA, recording the track gave her the chance to finally put those feelings into words.
“My favorite moment was when I first recorded it and I felt like I’d said something that needed to be said,” she says.
One of her favorite lyrics from the song is, “You think you’re smart, but honestly, you’re missing a screw.”
Behind the attitude is a message €LLA hopes stays with listeners.
“We can stand up for ourselves and we can write our own chapters in our stories,” she says. “You don’t have to conform to try and fit in.”
Looking Ahead to Her Upcoming EP
“Stupid Games” is part of a larger body of music €LLA has been developing for her upcoming EP. The project explores the different emotions and experiences that come with growing up and finding your own identity.
“What ties these songs together is the raw emotion throughout,” €LLA says. “It’s a mix of loud, chaotic and fun. Whether that’s anger, frustration, happiness or growth, it all comes from a personal place. I hope listeners can find pieces of themselves in these songs.”
Among the songs on the project, “What’ve I Become” is especially important to €LLA and represents the kind of artist she is becoming.
“‘What’ve I Become’ is my favorite song on this EP because that song is totally who I am as an artist,” she says. “I think it explores what it feels like to be a teenager in this day and age. You feel like you always have to prove things to people and that you can’t just be.”
€LLA draws inspiration from artists including Labrinth, The Weeknd, Lana Del Rey and Sara James, but finding her own identity has become an important part of creating the EP.
“I felt like there was almost this pressure that I had to be the next big artist who was similar to someone who already existed,” she says. “I believe I am unique because I really do write from my own experiences and what I would want to say.”
€LLA is also developing an idea for a “Stupid Games” music video, which she describes as chaotic while still feeling minimalistic. She hopes to write, direct and star in her own music videos and sees the visual side of her music as another way to tell a story.
“I see music videos as short films,” €LLA says. “I want to show how I see this song as a film.”
With more music and additional projects in the works for 2026, €LLA hopes “Stupid Games” gives listeners a sense of the honesty and personality behind what she is creating.
“‘Stupid Games’ talks about my personal experiences, but it’s also universally relatable,” she says. “I hope that you feel the passion and the love that went into making this EP and everything that I do.”
“Stupid Games” is available now.
ABOUT €LLA
€LLA is a singer-songwriter whose music draws from her own experiences growing up, finding confidence and discovering her identity as an artist. Blending pop and pop rock with personal songwriting, €LLA is developing a sound that reflects her own perspective and personality. Her upcoming EP explores frustration, happiness, vulnerability, growth and the emotions that come with finding your place in the world.
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