Penelope Scott

Scott began learning the piano at the age of eight.[1] In middle and high school, she focused on writing lyrics and learning how to record.[2] Scott began publishing her songs online while taking a music production class in college. She released the compilation album Junkyard on February 27, 2020, followed shortly by the release of The Junkyard 2 on May 13, 2020.[3] The latter explores themes of emotional labor, healthcare and insecurity.[1] A song from the second album, "Sweet Hibiscus Tea", went viral that same month.[3] Scott later expressed surprise at the success of The Junkyard 2 given its lack of mixing. Her college courses aided in her mixing skills, though she also took courses in philosophy and computer science.[1]

Scott's debut album, Public Void, was released on Bandcamp on August 29, 2020, then on streaming services on September 25, 2020. In late 2020, her music found a larger audience on the short-form video-sharing app TikTok.[4] A song off the album, "Rät," went viral in November 2020. The song expresses disappointment with Silicon Valley and technology billionaires, particularly Elon Musk.[5] "Rät" peaked at 29 on Billboard's Hot Rock & Alternative Songs Chart.[6] Music producer Jesse Cannon described its lyrics as "so extremely online".[7] Tens of thousands of TikTok videos incorporate the song.[1]

On November 4, 2020, Scott released the single "Born2Run", which went viral prior to its official release.[3] The song garnered attention after the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol, due to its lyrics describing a fictional storming of the Capitol by politically involved youth.[1] On April 30, 2021, Scott was featured on the song "Brittle, Baby!" by Char Chris. She also appeared in its music video as an animated version of herself.[8]

In July 2021, Scott released the song "7 O'Clock" and announced an EP titled Hazards, which released on August 27, 2021, through Many Hats Distribution.[9] She released the song "Dead Girls" as a single a day before the release of the EP.[10] In July 2021, Scott announced her first tour to support Hazards, beginning on the west coast of the United States in December 2021.[11] Scott also announced east coast tour dates for January 2022, but these were cancelled due to concerns about rising numbers of COVID-19 cases.[12][13] In December 2021, Scott covered Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats" for an episode of the Recording Academy's ReImagined.[14]

In May 2022, Scott played at the Belltown Bloom music festival in Seattle.[15] In June 2022, Scott began another US headlining tour supported by Rosie Tucker, fanclubwallet, and Yot Club. She then embarked on a UK/EU tour in July supported by Addison Grace.[16] In October 2022, Scott was featured on the song "Baby Take My Acid" by Cincinnati-based artist Lincoln, which appeared on his debut album Everything is Wrong.[17][18]