“Sometimes getting your voice involves finally saying the things you have been holding back.”
In her project Cordially Invited, the singer-songwriter Alina from Brighton transforms challenging experiences, complex relationships and the self-respect she has earned into a four-song EP which has both a personal and a relatable quality. The EP was released on 2 October 2026 and consists of songs that she has been performing for many years, thus offering long-time fans the opportunity to hear their favourite tracks in recorded form. Alina covers a range of emotions throughout the collection, including frustration, confidence, uncertainty and the thrill of new love, producing a release that is rooted in indie pop but also adopts a more pronounced pop-rock flavour. The title song, ‘Cordially Invited’, is at the core of the EP’s narrative. It deals with the actions of people who ought to know better and with the choice of ceasing to protect their feelings at the cost of their own personal peace. Alina has explained how audiences react to the song, especially when she asks them during live performances to shout out ‘STFU’. It is in that moment that the directness of the record is revealed; instead of concealing difficult emotions behind courteous words, she offers listeners the opportunity to express their own frustrations together with her. The song’s appeal arises not just from its attitude but also from the sense of finally drawing a line and refusing to accept less than one deserves.
The song “(I’m) Good Enough For Me” remains focused on self-worth and the need to move past unhealthy behaviours. The opening tracks as a whole show a clear change in emotion: knowing when a situation is no longer beneficial to you and then deciding to prioritise your own well-being. Alina does not treat these experiences as distant memories with simple solutions; rather, the songs originated in difficult and confusing phases of her life, and her decision to release them shows that she is willing to share this kind of vulnerability with her audience. The song ‘Bad Decisions’ reveals yet another aspect of the collection. It was written just a few weeks after Alina had moved to Amsterdam in 2020 and tells a story which might be based on actual experiences; it is precisely this background that gives the song’s inclusion on the EP such significance. Following her performance of it at a headline show in The Folklore Rooms in Brighton, Alina received feedback from fans asking her to expose the song to a wider audience. On the other hand, ‘Horribly Right’ looks at the uncertainty that can arise in a new relationship and the anxiety of seeing it evolve over time. These last tracks extend the scope of the EP beyond confrontation and demonstrate that emotional vulnerability can also involve acknowledging that love can be confusing, even if it seems right.
Alina, who draws inspiration from artists such as Avril Lavigne, Olivia Rodrigo and Rachel Chinouriri, combines the pop-rock energy with her existing indie-pop style. The arrangements were developed with the help of producer Jack Grace at his studio in Bournemouth, while Joshua Davies handled the drum recordings and Zain Pasha was in charge of mastering the tracks. A rather personal aspect is the fact that ‘I Think…’ has a similar feature to ‘Horribly Right’: it includes an original vocal recording from a single take that was made in a cabin in Wales, with birds singing in the background, and this natural recording was retained since the emotion and atmosphere present in it could not be reproduced in the studio. the album *Cordially Invited* provides difficult emotions with a place to go; its songs deal with disrespect, question one’s own value and recognise the uncertain nature of relationships without pretending that all experiences have easy solutions. By including its older songs in this unified release, Alina also respects the bond that these songs have already formed with her audiences. The end product is an open-hearted and vibrant EP which allows space for anger, reflection and growth, and it serves to remind listeners that honestly talking about what hurts can be an important move when it comes to moving forward.
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