Isabella Jane Confronts the Growing Artificial World with New Single ‘Burger’
Ōtautahi’s redhead, horse girl, theatre kid turned indie artist Isabella Jane returns with Burger, an indie folk-rock track taking aim at the everchanging relationship between people and technology.
And it all started when she left her iPhone in a Belgium Burger King.
During Isabella Jane’s year abroad, she quotes “In the depths of a Belgian winter my iPhone was swiftly carried away to Morocco where it now happily resides.” She did not react how would be expected, instead she expressed rather the great relief she felt when it was gone. The first thing she did without her phone was write this song, Burger.
Produced by Nic Manders (Brooke Fraser, Stan Walker, Georgia Lines), Burger is a mantra to quit doom scrolling and dissociating and reconnect with nature. Expansive, raw, atmospheric production enhances the desire for freedom and nature injected in the lyrics. Grounded drums, soaring guitars and rich vocals build towards a cathartic release. Isabella Jane describes the recording experience as a “wonderful organic jam sesh that perfectly encapsulated Burger‘s intended message.”
“Done dissociating, I’m a creature, I should be living with the bird and the bees and the nature”.
The world Isabella Jane has created around Burger amplifies the underlying commentary on manufactured addiction, digital connection, consumerism and AI development. She explains, “The creation of IJ brought forth the bigger ideas I was subconsciously debating when I wrote Burger. It’s more than a song about doomscrolling and wanting to get off your phone. It is about being sick of being addicted to consuming something that is manufactured to trap you and the depersonalization you feel when connecting more with technology than tangible living breathing things.” The IJ world has allowed Isabella Jane to explore bigger questions with this release. “What does it mean to live in an artificial world? How can we feel real if everything is fake?” Isabella Jane expresses these are some of her questions as a 20 year old in 2026.
In a David Bowie like manner, Isabella Jane has created the character IJ to drive this campaign. She explains “IJ is me if I doomscrolled into an artificial version of myself. She’s uncanny, optimized to the max, a pro on social media, and is trapped in an artificial state.” IJ has taken over Isabella Jane’s socials and led her audience on a journey, from artificial entrapment to IJ’s discovery of the true beauty of being human. Follow IJ’s journey @its.isabellajane.
Isabella Jane is ecstatic to be back releasing music again after holding off due to The Voice Belgique contract. The show aired in Belgium in early 2026 and she has been eagerly waiting for the contract to terminate, with Burger at the ready. Isabella Jane was coached by Loic Nottet through to the Battles and was sent off the show the same day her visa expired. Isabella expresses “Thank goddess I didn’t get through to the next round, I don’t know what I would have done”. This all took place on a Belgium AFS exchange.
During her time overseas Isabella Jane also released her debut single He’s just not that into you, which she did an impromptu performance of during her blind audition at Loic Nottet’s request to hear an original Isabella Jane composition. Other exchange highlights include opening for Belgian artist Zipper Double and touring with local Belgian artists Madelinski and Endy Dinca.
During Isabella Jane’s school years she was a Take The Mic and Play it Strange finalist and at 16 she was selected for the Sole Music Academy artist development program where she studied her artistry for a year. She sold out her first headline show in 2024 before moving to Belgium.
Isabella Jane grew up on a farm on the outskirts of a small ski town, ‘Disabella’ was her first nickname. She wrote songs since before she can remember, the first she can remember was a love song, she was ten “we’ve done the chacha, and we’ve done the slowdance, but he still hasn’t asked”. Isabella and her friends started a band in their last year of primary school, the band shifted and changed members but lasted to the end of high school. They opened for New Zealand band Dragon and won regional finals at Rockquest two years in a row. Isabella has always loved the stage, pursuing acting and singing her entire life. She hopes you feel the drama and theatricality in the music world she has created for you.
