When Avery Cochrane was a kid, she learned early that fitting in often meant bending herself into shapes that didn’t feel natural.

“I think learning to shapeshift happens at a very young age,” she said. “Everyone has changed who they are for the sake of fitting in at some point. Me personally? I’ve said stupid things, worn clothes I didn’t like, became friends with people I didn’t trust, etc … all before the age of 10. Concealing who I really am and what I really want has become more difficult. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed there’s so much more at stake. I’m so glad I wrote this song because, surely, the first step to unlearning shapeshifting is admitting you have a problem.”

That reflection is at the heart of her latest single, Shapeshifting on a Saturday Night, a track that blends confessional songwriting with sleek, cinematic pop. The song, which has already passed 1 million views on TikTok, has struck a chord with fans who see themselves in its push-and-pull between authenticity and performance.

Cochrane, a Seattle-born singer-songwriter, has built a growing reputation for pairing emotionally charged lyrics with melodies that lean toward classic pop. Her earlier release, Existential Crisis at the Tennis Club, became a bombastic queer anthem and racked up viral moments on TikTok. The new single follows that trajectory, balancing bright production with heavy emotional undercurrents.

“I’m still trying to figure it out,” she said of developing a solid sense of self, particularly as a queer artist in a digital-first music scene. “I think growing up Gen Z, brain marinated in the internet for the last 10 years, makes it really hard for most people I know my age to have a sense of self. Maybe it’s just being in your twenties in general, or maybe it really does have to do with information overload in the digital age. I feel the most sure of myself when I delete social media for a week. I think it’s a necessary purge for anyone at any age.”

Cochrane’s ability to turn deeply personal experiences into songs that feel universal is part of what has driven her recent momentum. Her music often hides complex emotional truths inside bright, danceable arrangements.

“It’s funny because this contrast is kind of exactly what Shapeshifting on a Saturday Night is about,” she said. “The concept of concealing deep inner conflicts and turmoil for the sake of everyone else’s enjoyment. I could have these songs produced out as slow and sad, but ‘everyone likes’ a pop song. I also downplay how I’m feeling most of the time. It really is how I naturally express myself. I think another fun example of this in my discography is Nothing Changes.”

The balance between personal truth and public persona is something Cochrane admits she’s still working on.

“Funny you ask, they blur all the time,” she said. “My therapist and I are actually working on separating ‘Avery, the artist’ from ‘Avery, the person’ because there really is so much crossover. I don’t really know how to write about anything other than my own life, which is something I’m really trying to change because it can be exhausting trying to find meaning in everything all the damn time!!!”

That tension extends to her relationship with TikTok, where much of her audience first found her music.

“I think it’s the other way around,” she said of whether online popularity pressures her to stay authentic. “I think my viral moments on TikTok are largely due to being authentic in the videos themselves. I have plenty of videos that don’t go viral, and it’s almost always when I’m trying too hard or forcing something. I also know that if I’m not staying authentic to myself, my songwriting will suffer as a result. Shapeshifting was written from a very authentic place.”

The authenticity has resonated beyond streaming numbers. Fans regularly share stories about how her songs connect to their own lives.

“Someone just messaged me last night, actually, about how my music helped her navigate through complex feelings she had for her best friend despite only being with men her entire life,” Cochrane said. “They’ve now been together for 10 months!”

Her songwriting process often begins with imagery.

“I imagine visuals as I write because I’m very much a lyrics-first writer,” she said. “The cinematic qualities come later as I’m building the song with my producer, but I do think because my lyrics are so emotionally charged, I always strive to have the production match the dramatic things I’m saying.”

Cochrane’s cinematic instinct will soon meet a larger stage. She is set to perform later this month at Seattle’s Bumbershoot Festival alongside Weezer, Janelle Monáe, Tennis and Sylvan Esso. It’s a full-circle moment for the artist, who grew up attending the festival.

“It’s incredible! I’m from Seattle so I would always go to Bumbershoot as a kid,” she said. “I saw Lorde there in 2016, which was a core memory for sure. Weezer was also there that year, so it’s gonna be so surreal to see them at Bumbershoot again, but this time as a fellow artist! I’m also really stoked that it’s an all-ages festival still. I’m usually stuck playing 21+ venues, so hopefully some of my younger fans who have never seen me play can make the set. I’m preparing by figuring out how to perform with tracks for the first time. I’ve always only just played with a live band, so now I’ll have both elements, which will help translate the cinematic elements of the recordings live.”

While her lyrics often mine her own life, Cochrane says new material will reveal even more.

“I’ve been writing a lot about a past relationship with someone else in the industry that made a huge impact on me,” she said. “It’s been nerve-wracking but cathartic to write about.”

Her influences range widely, from Johnny Cash to The Cocteau Twins, and she approaches her sound without trying to fit neatly into one lane.

With her current momentum, Cochrane is positioned for a breakout year. She has the viral traction, the hometown festival debut and a clear voice in a crowded pop landscape. But what seems to matter most to her is the same thing that drove Shapeshifting on a Saturday Night: finding a way to tell the truth, even if it’s wrapped in a melody everyone can dance to.