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The Magic of Stella Cole

By Leo Sidran | The Third Story
September 11, 2025
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Stella Cole

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Stella Cole didn't set out to become the face of a jazz revival. Growing up in Springfield, Illinois, she fell in love with The Wizard of Oz and movie musicals. By the time she reached college at Northwestern, she nearly abandoned singing altogether—discouraged by a culture that told her the "old" songs weren't marketable.

Then the pandemic hit. Locked down at home, she turned back to the comfort movies and music of her childhood, and began posting short videos of standards to TikTok. What started as a private practice blossomed into a viral phenomenon: millions of views, hundreds of thousands of followers, and, eventually, an invitation to make records.

Her new album It's Magic (Decca Records US) is both a culmination and a beginning. Produced by

Matt Pierson

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Matt Pierson with arrangements by

Alan Broadbent

piano
b.1947

" data-original-title="" title="">Alan Broadbent, it's lush, romantic, and unapologetically classic—a reminder that sometimes the most radical move is to sing the songs straight, with heart and conviction. For Stella, it's also the first time she's felt truly proud of a project.

Here she talks about the anxieties of early releases, her complicated relationship with social media, the importance of telling stories through song, and how she's learning to trust her instincts. It's the story of an artist who found her voice in an unlikely way, and who now wants to share that magic with the world.

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Stella Cole Concerts

Sep 19 Fri

Stella Cole

Ludlow Garage
Cincinnati, OH

Sep 22 Mon

Stella Cole

Antone's Nightclub
Austin, TX

Sep 23 Tue

Stella Cole

Ut Tyler Cowan Center Entrance
Tyler, TX

Sep 26 Fri

Jazz'SAlive 2025

Civic Park At Hemisfair
San Antonio, TX

Sep 27 Sat

Stella Cole

The Eli And Edythe Broad Stage
Santa Monica, CA

Oct 2 Thu

Stella Cole

Sony Hall
New York, NY

Oct 3 Fri

Stella Cole

Sony Hall
New York, NY

Oct 7 Tue

STELLA COLE

La Cigale
Paris, France

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