colby! Releases “Machine,” a Punk-Leaning Answer to Everyone Who Said She’d Never Make It

colby! has heard it before: too young, not going to make it. “Machine” is what she does with that. The 21-year-old alt-pop artist released the single on Friday, November 6, and she is not hiding who it is aimed at. “When people see you growing, they want to hate on you,” she says. “Then when they see you achieve what you’ve tried so hard for, suddenly they want to come back into your life.”

What is “Machine” about?

“Growing up, I was spoken down to because of my age and told I’d never make it,” colby! says. “I didn’t take it. I shook it off and didn’t let it affect what I needed to get done. That’s where this song comes from.” She calls it “a very passive aggressive song, and we love that.”

You can hear it in the writing. One verse goes straight back to the source: “Remember when I was only 16.” The chorus answers with a chant about taking it “like a machine.”

Why does “Machine” sound different?

colby! says she was “going for kind of an M.I.A. vibe,” and that the song “leans more into the punk sound I’ve been wanting to explore for a while.” Her influences have always run wide, with Amy Winehouse and Gwen Stefani at the top of the list, and by her own description “Machine” is her step toward punk.

Who is colby!?

colby! is Texas-bred and has made music since she was 14 with her older brother, RJ Johnson, a Berklee College of Music alum. Before music, she poured her energy into abstract painting and even building furniture for her dolls, partly as a way to cope with severe dyslexia. She has said the dyslexia ended up shaping her songwriting voice.

The audience has caught up fast. Her team says she gained more than half a million followers across social platforms in just over a month, and her previous single, “Hello,” has passed 2 million global streams. She has been named an artist to watch by Fault and Galore.

We have been following her for a while. The LA Note has covered “YOU” and the FINE! EP, “MONSTER” with Shaya Zamora, her debut EP Dead Giveaway and “Gone to Bed”.

Where can you see colby! live in Los Angeles?

She is on the road with Jady right now, and the run wraps Tuesday, November 10, at Moroccan Lounge in Los Angeles. The two already have history: they released “Take What You Want” together in June. This year she has also opened for Natalie Jane on U.S. and European tours. Music Scene Media wrote that her “stage presence and energy were on point, while also showcasing an incredible vocal range.”

Where to find colby!

• Listen to “Machine”: all platforms
• Website: colbyofficially.com
• Spotify: colby!
• Apple Music: “Machine”
• Instagram: @colbyofficially
• TikTok: @colbyofficially

Frequently asked questions

When did colby! release “Machine”?

Friday, November 6, 2026. The official music video premiered the night before on her VEVO channel.

What is “Machine” about?

In colby!’s words, it is “an empowerment song, but it’s about something really specific”: people who talked down to her when she was young, then wanted back into her life once she started succeeding. She calls it “a very passive aggressive song.”

What does “Machine” sound like?

colby! says she was “going for kind of an M.I.A. vibe” and that it “leans more into the punk sound” she has wanted to explore.

Is colby! playing Los Angeles?

Yes. Her run with Jady wraps Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at Moroccan Lounge in Los Angeles.

How old is colby! and where is she from?

She is 21 and Texas-bred, and she has made music since age 14 with her older brother, Berklee alum RJ Johnson.

What was colby!’s last single?

“Hello,” released September 18, 2026. Her team says it has passed 2 million global streams.