Quick answer: “My Love” is the lead single from kateo, an independent electroclash artist who grew up in Philadelphia and now lives in Los Angeles. It came out at midnight on September 18, 2026, and it is the first release in a larger rollout for his debut album, ISO. The sound draws on electroclash, hyperpop and the darker end of indie sleaze, and the whole project is built with a DIY ethic that extends to the visuals.
The video arrived the way most things arrive from kateo: with almost no ceremony. A single Instagram post, captioned “my love out midnight,” a string of slashes, and two credits. That is the whole announcement. The clip itself is a slow, underlit portrait, head bowed, the light catching one cheekbone and a small earring, the rest swallowed by shadow. It looks less like a launch and more like someone caught mid-thought in a room with the lights off.
Three days earlier, the only preview was a photo of a laptop in a dark room, the edit playing on screen. Whoever kateo is talking to, he is not talking to an algorithm. That restraint is unusual for a debut-album rollout in 2026, and it is the most interesting thing about him.
At a glance
- Artist: kateo (stylized in lowercase), independent electroclash artist
- Single: “My Love”
- Release date: September 18, 2026
- What it leads into: Debut album ISO
- Roots: Originally from Philadelphia, now based in Los Angeles
- Sound: Electroclash, hyperpop, the darker side of indie sleaze, with a heavy DIY emphasis
- Video: Camera by Nathan Z, edit by Hannah Peddy
- Management: Uxoris Management
- Follow: @kateoo_1 on Instagram
What is “My Love” by kateo?
“My Love” is the lead single from ISO, kateo’s debut full-length. His team describes it as the track that “introduces the world to the universe of ISO,” which is a useful way to hear it: not a standalone song so much as the first door into a larger house. The album is being rolled out in stages, with a run of visual material planned around the music, and “My Love” is the first of those stages.
The genre tags that come with the record, electroclash, hyperpop, indie sleaze, tell you the lineage more than the specifics. Electroclash is the early-2000s collision of new wave synths, punk attitude and deadpan vocals. Hyperpop is the maximalist, pitched-up, internet-native pop that grew out of the PC Music orbit in the late 2010s. Indie sleaze is the flash-lit, after-hours aesthetic of the mid-2000s, currently enjoying a second life among people who were too young for the first one. kateo is working at the darker intersection of all three, and the early comments on the video suggest listeners are locking onto the drums first.
Who is kateo?
kateo is a Philadelphia native who relocated to Los Angeles, where he now writes, produces and releases music independently. On Instagram he is listed simply as sovann, with a bio that reads “Artist” and nothing else. The account currently holds three posts. The rest of the catalog has been moved to an archive, a clean slate that reads as deliberate: the ISO era starts here.
He is not new to releasing, though. Streaming catalogs show a steady run of singles across 2024 and 2025, including “jealous,” “out of time,” “24 hours,” “WAR.,” “SHE MAKES ME WANNA DANCE” and “onekiss,” plus a remix of Charli XCX’s “pink diamond” and a featured spot on “ill be there” by together whenever earlier in 2026. Several of those songs have music videos. In other words, “My Love” is not a first attempt. It is the first release with an album behind it.
What is ISO, and how does “My Love” fit into it?
ISO is kateo’s debut album, and according to his management it is “entirely built around” the electroclash, hyperpop and indie sleaze perspectives described above. The title has not been explained publicly, which feels intentional. The collage he posted in late August offers the closest thing to a mood board: a night portrait on a dirt lot, a jet contrail cutting across a full moon, the Los Angeles basin glowing below, and a raw audio waveform running across the middle like a horizon line.
“My Love” is positioned as the entry point. The plan, as described to The LA Note, is a “larger scale rollout including a variety of visual materials,” which in practice means more video work in the vein of the “My Love” clip. Nathan Z shot that video and Hannah Peddy edited it, and both are credited in the caption, which tells you something about how kateo thinks about collaborators. The names go on the post.
Why does the DIY approach matter here?
Plenty of artists call themselves independent. Fewer actually operate that way at every layer. kateo’s press note leads with the DIY emphasis, and the evidence supports it: a self-run Instagram, videos made with a small crew of friends, a laptop edit posted as the only teaser, and a management company, Uxoris, that is doing outreach to smaller blogs and publications that “highlight new artists and unique sounds” rather than chasing playlist placement first.
That matters because the genres he is working in were DIY at their origin. Electroclash came out of tiny clubs and home studios in New York and Berlin. Hyperpop was a SoundCloud phenomenon before it was a Spotify playlist. Indie sleaze was a camera flash and a Myspace page. An artist reviving those sounds with a major-label budget would be missing the point. kateo is making them the way they were made the first time, from Los Angeles, on a laptop, in the dark.
What should new listeners expect from kateo next?
More of ISO, in pieces. The rollout is staged, so expect additional singles with accompanying visuals before the full album lands. No album date has been announced. The best way to follow the release is his Instagram, which is where “My Love” was announced, and his Linktree, which collects the streaming and video links in one place.
For readers who track Los Angeles music, kateo belongs on the list of transplants worth watching: an East Coast artist who moved west, kept the crew small, and is making a debut record that sounds like the after-party rather than the launch event. Read more coverage of independent artists in our Music section.
Where to listen and follow
- “My Love”: Streaming now on Spotify, Apple Music and other major platforms
- Apple Music: kateo on Apple Music
- Instagram: @kateoo_1
- All links: linktr.ee/kateoooo
- Management: Uxoris Management
Frequently asked questions
Who is kateo?
kateo is an independent electroclash artist originally from Philadelphia and now based in Los Angeles. He writes, produces and releases his own music, and is managed by Uxoris Management.
What is “My Love” by kateo?
“My Love” is the lead single from kateo’s debut album, ISO. It is the first release in a staged rollout that will include additional music and visual material.
When was “My Love” released?
“My Love” was released at midnight on September 18, 2026, on all major streaming platforms.
What genre is kateo?
kateo’s music pulls from electroclash, hyperpop and the darker side of indie sleaze, with a strong DIY emphasis in both the production and the visuals.
What is ISO?
ISO is kateo’s debut album. It is built around the electroclash, hyperpop and indie sleaze perspectives that “My Love” introduces. A release date has not been announced.
Who made the “My Love” music video?
The “My Love” video was shot by Nathan Z and edited by Hannah Peddy, both credited by kateo in the Instagram post announcing the single.
Where can I follow kateo?
On Instagram at @kateoo_1, on Apple Music and Spotify, and through his Linktree at linktr.ee/kateoooo.
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