# Spellling > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Spellling > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Spellling.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spellling > Source revision: 1350287898 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American experimental pop musician}} {{Distinguish|Spelling}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Spellling | image = SPELLLING.jpg | alt = | caption = SPELLLING performing at This Ain't No Picnic in 2023. | birth_name = Chrystia Cabral | alias = Tia Cabral | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1991|05|18}} | birth_place = [Sacramento](/source/Sacramento), California, U.S. | origin = [Oakland, California](/source/Oakland%2C_California), U.S. | genre = {{Flatlist| * [Progressive pop](/source/Progressive_pop) * [experimental pop](/source/experimental_pop)}} | occupation = {{Flatlist| * Musician * singer * songwriter * producer }} | instrument = {{Flatlist| * Vocals * synthesizer{{Cite web |last=Silvers |first=Emma |date=February 15, 2019 |title=Spellling Is Making Haunted Electronic Pop for the Witch (or Wizard) in All of Us |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/rising/spellling-is-making-haunted-electronic-pop-for-the-witch-or-wizard-in-all-of-us/ |access-date=August 13, 2023 |website=[Pitchfork](/source/Pitchfork_(website))}} }} | years_active = 2015–present | label = [Sacred Bones](/source/Sacred_Bones_Records) | website = {{URL|spelllingmusic.com}} }} '''Chrystia''' "'''Tia'''" '''Cabral''' (born May 18, 1991), known professionally as '''{{Not a typo|Spellling}}''' (stylized in [all caps](/source/all_caps)), is an American [experimental pop](/source/experimental_pop) musician based in [Oakland, California](/source/Oakland%2C_California). Cabral released her debut album, ''Pantheon of Me'', in September 2017; ''[Pitchfork](/source/Pitchfork_Media)'' felt it was "surely among the most overlooked debuts this calendar year".Jenn Pelly. "[https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/hear-spelllings-walk-up-to-your-house-from-one-of-the-most-compelling-debuts-of-the-year/ Review of Spellling's 'Walk Up to Your House']". ''[Pitchfork](/source/Pitchfork_Media)''. December 11, 2017. Signing to [Sacred Bones Records](/source/Sacred_Bones_Records) in 2018, she followed up in February 2019 with ''[Mazy Fly](/source/Mazy_Fly)''. It was met with universal acclaim by music critics, who enjoyed the dark and eerie qualities of Spellling's sound."[https://www.metacritic.com/music/mazy-fly/spellling Review: ''Mazy Fly'' by Spellling]". [Metacritic](/source/Metacritic). Retrieved on 25 May 2021. Cabral released the third full-length Spellling album, ''[The Turning Wheel](/source/The_Turning_Wheel_(album))'', on June 25, 2021.Evan Minsker. "[https://pitchfork.com/news/spellling-announces-new-album-the-turning-wheel-shares-new-song-listen/ SPELLLING Announces New Album ''The Turning Wheel'', Shares New Song: Listen]". ''Pitchfork''. April 14, 2021. She followed that up with ''[Spellling & the Mystery School](/source/Spellling_%26_the_Mystery_School)'' in 2023 and ''Portrait of My Heart'' in 2025. ==Early life== Cabral was born in [Sacramento](/source/Sacramento), California. She was raised in the [Catholic Church](/source/Catholic_Church), which would later influence her music.{{cite web |last=Fechik|first=Mariel|title=As Above, So Below: SPELLLING on Mythical Realms and New Album 'The Turning Wheel'|date=7 July 2021|url=https://atwoodmagazine.com/sttw-spellling-the-turning-wheel-music-interview-2021/|website=Atwoodmagazine.com|access-date=July 9, 2021}} Cabral attended the [University of California, Berkeley](/source/University_of_California%2C_Berkeley), studying philosophy for two semesters before changing her major to English literature after feeling "shamed out of the [philosophy] department" as the only femme person and person of color. She remained at Berkeley to pursue a [Master of Fine Arts](/source/Master_of_Fine_Arts), which she completed in 2019.{{cite web |last1=Lee, Ahn|title=SPELLLING on Friendship |url=https://art.berkeley.edu/news/2021/5/3/friendaversary|website=Art.berkeley.edu|date=3 May 2021 |access-date=July 9, 2021}} ==Career== Cabral started her musical career in 2015, influenced by two events: watching a fellow San Francisco artist performing [looped vocals](/source/Live_looping); and the death of a close friend. At the time she was working as an [elementary school](/source/elementary_schools_in_the_United_States) teacher, and being around crayons inspired her to release a handmade CD called ''Crayola Church''. Cabral said of the project: “I took a [Crayola](/source/Crayola) box and made a record based on every color in the box… I would wrap the CDs in children’s drawings and write the track listing, so some people have those [editions].”{{cite web |last=Reyes|first=Jordan|title=How Alien Encounters and Vivid Dreams Inspired Spellling's Stunning ''Mazy Fly'' |date=19 February 2019|url=https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/spellling-interview|website=Daily.bandcamp.com|access-date=July 9, 2021}} In 2017, she self released her debut album, ''Pantheon of Me''. In 2019, she released a follow-up, ''Mazy Fly'', to positive reviews. In 2021, she released her third album, ''[The Turning Wheel](/source/The_Turning_Wheel_(album))'', to similarly positive reviews. In 2023, she announced her fourth album, ''[Spellling & the Mystery School](/source/Spellling_%26_the_Mystery_School),'' which would contain [re-recordings](/source/Re-recording_(music)) of past material.{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/spellling-spellling-and-the-mystery-school/|title=SPELLLING & the Mystery School - Review|last=Torres|first=Eric|website=[Pitchfork](/source/Pitchfork_(website))|date=August 24, 2023|access-date=July 9, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824123727/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/spellling-spellling-and-the-mystery-school/|archive-date=August 24, 2023}} In 2025, Cabral supported [Japanese Breakfast](/source/Japanese_Breakfast) in their ''Melancholy Tour'' across North America. ==Artistry== ===Influences=== When asked about her favorite albums, Cabral named [Minnie Riperton](/source/Minnie_Riperton)'s ''[Come to My Garden](/source/Come_to_My_Garden)'', [Kraftwerk](/source/Kraftwerk)'s ''[Computer World](/source/Computer_World)'', and [Iggy Pop](/source/Iggy_Pop)'s ''[The Idiot](/source/The_Idiot_(album))''.{{cite web |last=Michael|first=Jordan J.|title=My Favorite Album: SPELLLING on Minnie Riperton, Kraftwerk, and Iggy Pop|url=https://www.undertheradarmag.com/interviews/my_favorite_album_spellling_on_minnie_riperton_kraftwerk_and_iggy_pop|website=Undertheradarmag.com|access-date=July 9, 2021}} ==Discography== ===Albums=== * ''Pantheon of Me'' (2017) * ''[Mazy Fly](/source/Mazy_Fly)'' (2019) * ''[The Turning Wheel](/source/The_Turning_Wheel_(album))'' (2021) * ''[Spellling & the Mystery School](/source/Spellling_%26_the_Mystery_School)'' (2023){{Cite web |title=SPELLLING & the Mystery School, by SPELLLING |url=https://spellling.bandcamp.com/album/spellling-the-mystery-school |access-date=2023-07-13 |website=Spellling.bandcamp.com|language=en}} * ''Portrait of My Heart'' (2025) ===Singles=== * "Hard to Please" (2018) * "Little Deer" (2021) * "Boys at School" (2021) * "Turning Wheel" (2021) * "Cherry / Under the Sun" (2023) * "Hard to Please (Reprise)" (2023) * "Portrait of My Heart" (2025) * “Alibi” (2025) * “Destiny Arrives” (2025) ==References== {{reflist}} ==Further reading== * Ahn Lee. "[https://art.berkeley.edu/news/2021/5/3/friendaversary SPELLLING on Friendship]". Department of Art Practice, [UC Berkeley](/source/UC_Berkeley). May 3, 2021. ==External links== * [https://spellling.bandcamp.com/ Spellling] at [Bandcamp](/source/Bandcamp) * [https://www.sacredbonesrecords.com/collections/spellling Spellling] at [Sacred Bones Records](/source/Sacred_Bones_Records) {{Authority control}} Category:American experimental musicians Category:Living people Category:Experimental pop musicians Category:American women pop singers Category:American women in electronic music Category:21st-century African-American women singers Category:21st-century American women singers Category:University of California, Berkeley alumni Category:1991 births --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Spellling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spellling) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spellling?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.