Noa Vlessing

Over the summer, pop star Charlie Puth allegedly stood up Berklee student Noa Vlessing, and Vlessing responded to the cold diss by writing a song about the experience. We believe the key term “dick move” was used.

That song, titled “Oh Charlie”, was a good-natured, humorous, and off-the-cuff jab at a famous person just not having the time for fans, but what it really did was show off Vlessing’s blooming songwriting ability. It made us wonder just what else the young Toronto-born musician had in store, and a few short months later, we have it in “Back In Time”, an ultra-slick and polished alt-pop tune with modern R&B tendencies. We’re premiering it today on Vanyaland, and you can hear it below via Vlessing’s Soundcloud. Be sure to stick around for the video game drop, which, like Joe Flowers’ track “Misused” last week, is bringing some excellent electro- and blip-pop flourishes to a mainstream sound.

And much like Vlessing’s Puth reaction, “Back In Time” is another personal piece.

“I wrote ‘Back in Time’ about unexpectedly running into a person you used to know well, and in the blink of an eye you’re transported back through all your memories to the time you were together,” she tells Vanyaland. “I write most of my songs on guitar, so when I played it for my producer VALNTN it was just a raw outline. We jammed on it and found a beat that fit. When you know, you know — that little feeling inside just clicked. From that point forward it flowed so naturally and the song fell into place.”

Vlessing already possesses the working mind of a songwriter and storyteller. “I think a song needs to take your heart and body somewhere,” she adds. “For me, it’s about the energy you have while creating a work of art and letting that be the driving force.”

“Back In Time” is officially out via iTunes this Sunday, and Vlessing’s November 9 show on the BIRN will be live streamed. In the meantime, wear out that “play” button below and hitch a ride on one of the more exciting young music minds currently residing in Boston. - MICHAEL MAROTTA

A mismatch of portable keyboards and acoustic guitars were set up in a circle in the Red Room, like an awkward family seated at a dinner table. When the songwriters selected to play for this Berklee in the Round—affectionately abbreviated as BITR—slipped into their chairs to play it felt less like the beginning of a concert to me and more like a music sharing session between friends…Very intense, talented musical friends, with a crowd of about 30 people watching them, but friends nonetheless.

The concept of Berklee in the Round is to feature a few dedicated songwriting students in a set-up that mirrors the intimate, community-oriented style of Nashville writers’ rounds. This month, the chosen songwriters were Delaney Silvernell, Julia Battistin, Sayak Das, Noa Vlessing, and Brendan Fisher. Though the writing and playing styles were immensely varied among the performers, they were united by a shamelessly nerdy excitement for music, clearly inspiring each other as the night wore on.

Songwriting department chair Bonnie Hayes introduced the event by carefully thanking everyone by name from the video crew to the engineer. Small as this moment may have been it set a precedent for the night: everyone was there to appreciate, support, and be motivated by their peers.

Brendan Fisher kicked off the performance with “GPS,” a chirpy pop song about his self-professed “quarter life identity crisis.” His chord palette was thoroughly Berklee-influenced (think lots of modal interchange) but he was unafraid to contrast it with millennial whoops and a bright musical theater vocal delivery. Throughout the night he delighted in venturing into playful, borderline-kitsch territory, writing songs about unexpected subjects such as gamer culture.

“Dreamer & Son,” bandmember Sayak Das’ songs featured beautifully disaffected, wandering guitar melodies and softly sung lyric zingers. In a faintly R&B voice, he cut straight to the bone, writing about chasing highs and reality TV malaise: “I will drink your cheap liquor like it’s holy water.” At one point he confessed that the energy of the music was coursing through his body so strongly that he was having trouble staying seated.

Delaney Silvernell immediately had the audience whooping in response to her exuberant and pure belted vocals. Smooth riffs supplemented the confident attitude and take no prisoners lyrical declarations of her songs. As she performed, her hands made jagged motions over her chest, as if visually illustrating the pain of heartbreak.

Emotional intensity instantly flooded the room whenever Julia Battistin sang. A self-confessed specialist in heartbreak songs, she concocted painfully tactile images and paired them with subtle pop melodies. Her song “Kryptonite” was especially memorable, featuring delicate switches from bright to breathy vocal tones and deliciously dangerous lyrics: “it won’t be safe the moment we collide.”

The last performer of the night was Noa Vlessing. Her songs wavered between R&B and pop influences, anchored by consistently rhythmic, almost funky guitar riffs and self-aware lyrical sass and honesty. Towards the end of the show she got the crowd to do slow, groovy snaps to her “songs about boys,” and her voice opened up with warm ease in her higher register. I appreciated her thematic frankness and her willingness to bring up-tempo songs into the round without losing any emotional weight to increased speed.

I left the show feeling overwhelmed—in a good way—with the variety and passion I had heard from the songwriters. But as much as I was impressed by many of their songs, what made BITR most exciting for me to watch was its camaraderie. The songwriters were appreciative of each other, whispering compliments and geeking out over the writing techniques their peers were using. They laughed knowingly at each others stories of how eccentrically their songs came to be, and spurred each other into little monologues thanking their parents. These small moments of authenticity packed the evening up with wrapping paper and tied it with an elegant bow. - Lily Lyons

Ah, Charlie Puth. Singer. Charmer. Proud owner of an eyebrow notch.

And, as it turns out, not the nicest guy around.
Puth, pictured here looking like a Game of Thrones villain.
Puth recently stood up Berklee College of Music student Noa Vlessing. And she was noooot happy about it.
Puth recently stood up Berklee College of Music student Noa Vlessing. And she was noooot happy about it.

Puth and Vlessing started talking after matching on Bumble, the “nice guy” of dating apps.
Puth and Vlessing started talking after matching on Bumble, the "nice guy" of dating apps.
Noa Vlessing
Profile Picture Aesthetic: Harry Potter, if he were the kind of guy who sent “you up” texts at 2am.
The two hit it off, bonding over their shared experiences at Berklee (Puth is an alum).
Eventually, Puth invited Vlessing over for what he referred to as a “low-key chill” with his friends.

Vlessing headed over with her sister, speaking to Puth over the phone while enroute. When they got there, however, he proved that he was not, in fact, “One Call Away”.
When they arrived, Puth’s manager told them that he’d come down to the lobby shortly.
They waited for almost an hour.
Puth stopped answering his phone, and never showed.
Vlessing was NOT pleased. So of course, like any good musician, she channelled her feelings into a song.
And what a song it is.


The response to Vlessing’s video has been overwhelmingly positive, with many of its viewers rallying to get it seen by Puth himself.
As Vlessing says, Puth “definitely left the wrong girl hanging.”
Your move, Charlie - Hanna White

What do you do if you get stood up by a celebrity – especially one you thought you had a connection with? Do you just let it go? Or do you write the revenge track that could be your key to viral fame?

For Berklee College of Music student Noa Vlessing, it’s the latter. She claims she connected with Charlie Puth through the dating app Bumble – that they spoke on the phone & that he invited her over to his place for what he called “low key chill”. She even says she talked to him on her way over. But once she got there, no Charlie. His manager (his manager hangs around acting as his butler?) supposedly said he’d be right down, but Charlie never showed up. And he went silent, stopped answering his phone.

So, she wrote this amazing response, called “Oh Charlie”. On Youtube, she explained:

What an uneasy feeling it is when someone makes you feel so unimportant- especially if this person has some level of fame… and thinks it’s OK to treat those “without a name” as if their time is worth less. A simple “I can’t make it anymore”, a “don’t bother waiting” text, or an “I’m so sorry” would do.

But because you were unable to offer me even the most normal of courtesies, here’s a song I wrote for you- about this #dickmove


Pretty impressive, right? As of this blog post she’s got just shy of 13,000 views, but I have a feeling that could start to grow. Give her some love – you can even download the track here.

As for Charlie… well, he’s not speaking up to defend himself yet. But you can check out what’s happening with his latest track on this week’s Slacker Top 40! (Hint: it’s called “We Don’t Talk Anymore. Maybe that’s a clue.) - Parker