“Champ” arrives as an empowering hard-rock tribute from Ukrainian-American artist Kelsie Kimberlin, honoring the dignity and honor of Ukrainians experiencing the impacts of war. This motivational anthem blends fervent guitars with fierce vocals for a captivating allure.

The track follows significant humanitarian work from Kimberlin, who in August 2023 traveled to Ukraine and filmed three music videos about the effects of war on Ukrainians. The filming occurred under martial law, the skies prevalent with air raid sirens, attack drones, and missles. Kimberlin is the first artist to be granted permission to film in the locations of the worst atrocities in Bucha and Irpin. Each of the videos has had more than a million views on YouTube, giving significant visibility to the events occurring. In April 2025, Kimberlin received the United Nations Humanitarian Award and the St. George’s Royal Medal of Honor, issued by King Charles, for her strong support for Ukraine.

Specific to the music video, the track opens with an atmospheric, spoken-word immersion — with lines like “I try to run from hopelessness” capturing a personal sense of perseverance in the midst of strife. This dreamy art-pop introduction then evolves into a hard-rocking pulsation, where grimy guitars and steady rhythms complement a fierce vocal presence. “You have gotta stand up once again,” Kimberlin lets out, then traversing into the empowering chorus: “You’re a champion, they can never keep you down / You’re a winner, so don’t let it keep you on the ground.”

An ensuing “get up!” vocal refrain adds to the invigorating, motivational display. “Once you’re number one” perspectives of getting the “taste of winning” and not wanting to “lose again” further the championship spirit, relevant in many areas of life — from sport to more serious aspects, like oppressive warfare, where millions of innocents find themselves in a state of constant fear and hopelessness. The inspiring thematic drive combines with a melodic, spirited rock production for a standout success from Kelsie Kimberlin.

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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.

We discovered this release via MusoSoup.

The post Kelsie Kimberlin – “Champ” appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.