Wasia Project Makes a Melancholic Debut With Nocturne

Theodora Gatsacos

Writer

September 22, 2026

English indie pop duo Wasia Project returns with their debut album Nocturne after previously releasing various singles and EPs since their debut in 2019. The duo, siblings Olivia Hardy and Will Gao, are both classically trained and are best known for their song ur so pretty, which was used at the end of Season 2 of Heartstopper, where Gao played Tao Xu. My Vine was featured in Heartstopper Season 3, with the song Whale Call from their new album being included in the movie finale, Heartstopper Forever. Whale Call was created from a voice memo Hardy recorded when she was 15 and compares a whale’s call to trying to reconnect with someone but being unable to reach them.

Nocturne’s first four songs, 2515, Vogue, Whale Call, and Bleeding Gold, were released earlier this year as singles. 2515, the only track on the album labeled explicit, opens Nocturne with an electronic pop sound, focusing on a toxic relationship where one’s partner breaks them down only to lift them back up again.

Vogue continues the electronic pop sound and is about giving in to desire, with Hardy singing, “Think I would’ve learned my lesson, But I, I couldn’t help it if I tried.” Though upbeat, Bleeding Gold is a heavy song about feeling lost, lonely, and wanting to run away, even if it means returning home at the end. The lyrics reflect the difficulties of letting go of the past and the complications of coming back after trying to run from it.

The first new track on the album, Voices In My Head, explores mourning a relationship, even if it was toxic. The speaker is devastated that their partner left them for someone else, but reflects that when they’re older, they can “Laugh and forget all the things I did.” Even If I Tried is the first song on Nocturne to primarily feature Gao’s vocals, though he only sings during the first half. After Gao’s lyrics about wanting to end a relationship, the second half of the song shifts to a trippy instrumental, almost reflecting the chaos surrounding the end of a relationship.

Sunken Quay leans into the duo’s dream-like sound and compares hiding one’s past and memories to a sunken quay. The end of the song feels abrupt, immediately leading into the loud, bass-boosted intro of Strike Me Down From Heaven. At this point in the album, the speaker has become emotionally numb and lost the ability to love.

They pray that they may be able to believe in love again. Though without lyrics, Moon Goddess brings the duo back to their classical roots, painting a story about moving through life despite its struggles. Moon Goddess beautifully transitions into the remainder of Nocturne and sets the mood for the rest of the album, which is melancholic, piano-heavy, and creates a sense of longing. The lyrics of Stay reflect the fear of losing someone you love. Hardy’s beautiful yet melancholic vocals create a sense of longing and grasping onto memories, afraid to let go. In the chorus, the speaker finally admits, “I wouldn't say it to you, but I'd do anything to make you stay.”

The outro, Wildfire, best sums up Nocturne, bringing back the juxtaposition between running away and wanting to stay, as well as what comes with that. The speaker in this song, once again about a toxic relationship, wonders if their partner will ever see them for who they are, with the album ending as they wait into the night, going between wanting their partner to leave and wanting to fix the relationship.

Overall, Nocturne is a refreshing yet melancholy journey that highlights Wasia Project’s unique sound. Most songs are over four minutes, a refreshing feature from the current trend of two-minute tracks. The use of a white lily on the album’s cover, juxtaposed with a black background, was Gao’s idea. Though Gao states in a video that he’s always loved white lilies, it is not lost on fans that the flower represents rebirth, renewal, and a clean slate, something that songs like Bleeding Gold touch on, while also wanting to surrender to the past, represented here by the dark background behind the flower. With many motifs regarding time and water, Nocturne is a beautiful story, with songs that feel like a late night after a long day: reflecting, wanting to run away, but succumbing to the desire to revisit the past.

Edited by: Jade Read