REVIEW: "Bad Dreams" by Therese Curatolo
WRITTEN BY AMRITA KUMAR
✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩
For Therese Curatolo, music serves as both a time capsule and a source of comfort. Her newest single, "Bad Dreams," was born from a deeply personal experience and serves as an authentic, vulnerable piece of work.
“When I say it was like divine intervention, I was just the vessel,” Curatolo said. “There was like a portal that opened, and it just blurted out of me.”
The song, she shared, was inspired by a vivid dream that forced her to confront unresolved feelings from a complicated relationship with a former bandmate. The dream itself was intertwined with a traumatic memory from her college days, when she witnessed a fellow performer have a seizure on stage.
“That imprinted on me so heavily, and it became one of my biggest fears,” she said. “I’d never witnessed a seizure before, and I didn’t know if he was having a heart attack or if he was dying. I had no idea what was going on.”
The music video for the track reflects the song’s emotional depth, shot in a single take to mirror the narrative. Shot by Ernie Gilbert, who has worked with artists like Beyoncé and Childish Gambino, the visual captures the weight of unspoken feelings and the clarity that comes with self-honesty.
“Sometimes when there’s unrequited love involved, you can’t really be honest about it,” Curatolo said. “You lie to yourself and gaslight yourself out of the truth.”
Taking after her father, a professional musician, Curatolo’s influences include iconic artists such as Paul McCartney, the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Prince, and Brian Wilson. Her approach to music has evolved, especially after recording her debut EP live in El Paso, Texas.
“I gave my music to them and I was like, ‘whatever you feel, whatever speaks to you, just play whatever the music instigates,’” she said. “So that being a live session, it made me really let go and trust the process and not be so artistically perfect about my music.”
This philosophy carried over to "Bad Dreams," which was released as a demo, raw and unfiltered. The track was recorded in a walk-in closet and then produced on top of, which Curatolo found freeing.
“That, to me, has shown growth as an artist and just kind of letting the music evolve naturally and organically,” she said. “It shows an authenticity as an artist that I don’t have to meticulously tune or make things sound a certain way.”
Besides music, Curatolo enjoys other creative pursuits such as thrifting and styling unique outfits. She’s able to extend this desire for individuality to her songwriting.
“Music is like a bouquet,” she said. “So with every song or artist that I’m inspired by, I take a flower or a bloom, and it’s almost like a homage or nod to them, but it’s not a mimicry of them.”
Curatolo continues to push creative boundaries and hopes her listeners will resonate with her music in unique ways. Her journey is one of growth, vulnerability, and a relentless pursuit of authenticity– perfectly reflected in her single, "Bad Dreams."