Celeste Corsano Unpacks Perfection, Pressure, and Power on New Single “XS”

Alt-pop artist Celeste Corsano peels back the glossy veneer of perfection with her striking new single “XS”, out now via Magic Door Record Label. A layered play on “extra small” and “excess,” the track dives into the pressures of body image, belonging, and the endless chase for validation—set to a lush backdrop that fuses analogue bite with pop sheen, recalling icons like The Cars and Kate Bush.

Recorded at Magic Door Recording Studio in Montclair, NJ with producer and engineer Ray Ketchem (Guided by Voices, Elk City, Luna), the single features heavyweight collaborators James Mastro (Mott the Hoople, Patti Smith) and David Nagler (Joan Baez, Rosanne Cash). Together, they help Corsano craft a sound that’s sleek yet unguarded—pop gloss shot through with raw vulnerability. Here, Corsano opens up about the song’s origins, the catharsis of songwriting, and finding freedom in imperfection.

‘XS’ plays on the double meaning of “extra small” and “excess” — when did that word first spark the idea for the song, and how did you know it was the right metaphor to build around?

There were two things going through my mind at the time of writing this song, which all happened pretty quickly. I was in bed thinking about a piece of clothing I just purchased and that it was an extra small and I thought about the tag and how it said “XS” and how the little spinning subtext voice in my mind was saying “yes this is good, everything is in order and is satisfying” — due to my body issues. I was also thinking about something that occurred the night before which had me feeling like an outsider in certain social and music circles that I wished I could be more a part of — not really fitting into most of the mainstream music in my area, and not quite “something” enough for the more artistic circles... at least that’s my perception.

Both of these issues, the body perception and the outsider hang-up, probably have the same roots. I started texting myself some lyrics and saw that “XS” and “excess” could be used to express both of the feelings that I was experiencing. I knew I could build around the wordplay and I liked the way “XS” sounded to sing, with its kind of campy tarnished glam—especially when paired with the lyric “success.” “Your excess has me feeling extra small” isn’t a finger-pointing lyric—it’s just a reaction to my perception that some people seem to have so much good fortune and have lots of friends—they “have it all.”

You’ve spoken about the pressures of perfection and body image—what role has music played for you in untangling those insecurities and turning them into art?

Music and songwriting is my true love and my need to have peace and sanity. It has brought me in touch with myself and I never really doubt what it is that I’m writing about because it’s coming from a real place. I’ve long since given up trying to write something that people like—hahah—I can only write as it comes out.

I’m far from a technical master at music and can’t have a goal to make my songs sound like a certain style, although the studio can help realize it more, especially as I’ve matured musically and as a recording artist. I have more ideas at the onset of writing as to how I’d like to take its final shape.

My songs often help me untangle my “self” and what I’m feeling after a portion of it has been written because a lot of the lyrics just come out. Writing flows without the mind’s judgment. Not that my lyrics are so sophisticated, but after they’ve flowed onto the paper, I look at them and see a possibly deeper meaning that my unregimented self allowed to come forth. I identify even more deeply and become more committed to what I’m expressing—and affirmed by me—which is really what this song is about: a snapshot of my journey to figure out how to feel affirmed.

To express my honest feelings about body insecurities and feeling unnoticed or like an outsider helps bring it all into the light and makes me feel more seen as a person—and if it can be described as art, then as a piece of sound art that people may relate to.

The track has this blend of analogue richness and alt-pop sheen, recalling artists like The Cars and Kate Bush. What sonic choices did you and Ray Ketchem lean into to strike that balance?

When Ray Ketchem and I were trying to figure out the keyboard sound that I recorded on MIDI, Ray started playing The Cars—one of his and my favorite bands. I went nuts when we started listening to their song “Candy-O.” I hadn’t heard it in quite a while and it blew my mind. The combination of their raw guitar and synth work with Orr’s voice re-slayed me.

When I finished writing “XS,” I knew I wanted the last portion of it to be more intense. The lyrics get into the root of the matter—XS perfect... or even better XXS—a kind of sarcasm and anger. Anger at who? Myself? The industry? And then the final lyric, “Am I perfect?” That ambivalence sends a message to the listener. Ray did the most fantastic job of building at just the right part of the song with all the vocal effects, tribal drums, guitar, and synth—every instrument and effect communicating.

When we were mixing this part, I started ranting about Lord of the Flies because I felt what he created had captured the primal grappling that I experienced and wrote about in this portion of the song. The song starts out slick and sweet, mainly communicated by the synth work and my vocal, but the ending transports it into another realm. I’m so proud of this song and grateful for how well Ray and I worked together—his great ear, sensitivity, and expertise.

Working with musicians like James Mastro and David Nagler brought heavyweight experience into the studio. How did their contributions shape the final sound of “XS”?

I have now had the opportunity to work with James Mastro and David Nagler on six songs and they’ve influenced me and inspired me in so many ways. It’s amazing to have musicians of their caliber contribute to my songs. Because I work alone when songwriting (since I don’t have anyone to collaborate with at this time—anyone interested? :)), I don’t always have specific ideas for other instrumentation other than my keyboard, which is what I write on.

Mastro found the perfect guitar parts and effects for “XS,” which is a keyboard/synth-heavy song. There’s even acoustic at the beginning. The guitar was key in shaping the entire sound, with the “new wave” chugging at the beginning and then the wide open, existential, more ominous work further into the song. Ray did a great job placing all the parts.

David Nagler pulled the whole sound together with the bass, and he’s also a fantastic keyboard and synth player on all my other songs.

The themes of ‘XS’ feel deeply personal but also universal. What do you hope listeners who’ve felt like outsiders themselves take away from the song?

As I mentioned earlier, I feel that there’s a second, wiser, and more objective voice accompanying me when I’m writing lyrics. After I’ve let the words flow out, I see a deeper message—and in “XS,” that message reveals my true feelings about the bondage or cycle of comparison that we can all get into.

We may feel that we’ve achieved the “industry standard” of whatever it is we’re chasing—body size, creative success, social validation—but then, having achieved it, we ask, “Have I truly reached it? Am I now in the perfect spot of happiness?” We all know how transitory that can be.

The final answer, I think, is that the journey or quest for affirmation and joy is from within—your own personal best and self-love. I feel art is the way to find out about oneself, and to accept your creation is the first step to accepting and loving yourself.