Introducing London-based dance-pop newcomer Ed Gent, whose debut single “Whole Lotta Hollow” is a synth-soaked, early-2000s-inspired Pride anthem for those who’ve ever felt unseen.
In a year when the volume of Pride feels louder than ever, 22-year-old Ed Gent is turning his speaker outward, in solidarity with the ones still waiting to be heard.
Gent isn’t entirely new to songwriting – his tracks have aired on BBC Introducing, and he was nominated for Song Academy’s Young Songwriter of the Year – but until now, music has been more of a lifeline than a launchpad. This release marks the start of something more intentional.
Whole Lotta Hollow is a synth-drenched dance-pop track packed with early-2000s club DNA and the emotional weight of someone who’s learned to shout into silence. It’s both a floor-filler and a personal reckoning. “It’s about capturing a feeling I think a lot of people, especially queer people, have had: being in a room that’s supposed to be safe, and still feeling invisible,” Gent says. “You’re accepted – but when it matters, the support isn’t really there. So I made something that speaks to that gap. Even if it’s just for me.”
The production is high-gloss, but under the glitter, there’s grit: a high-drama club anthem laced with camp wordplay and a soaring chorus. The song pulls from the heartbreak sheen of Robyn, the raw glamour of early Gaga and the emotional urgency of Years & Years. Gent’s lyrics are sharp. With references to paper thrones, cliques, and loyalty to the wrong people, Whole Lotta Hollow speaks to a familiar side of queer experience: the sting of being overlooked in spaces that promise acceptance – but don’t always deliver.
“Parade your pride down shattered halls / and paint the cracks, pretend it’s gold… It’s a hollow home / it’s a whole lotta lows.”It’s a feeling many know: watching a room light up – and somehow feeling more in the dark.
“There are so many of us who are still being talked over – even in the places that claim to welcome us.” There’s no label. No team. No ad spend. Gent is doing this solo – hoping the right person presses play.
“I’m not trying to break the internet,” he laughs. “But I’d love to reach anyone who’s been made to feel too different -or too dramatic – to be seen or heard.”
