Katie Runnels has never been interested in surface-level artistry. From her 2010 debut Reality Cloud to her latest single “Imperfect Beauty,” she has written music that reaches inward – searching, questioning, and ultimately offering listeners a space to reflect.
With “Imperfect Beauty,” Katie Runnels steps into a new era. The track is sonically bold: spacious production, haunting electronic layers, and a vocal delivery that feels both fragile and unshakable. But its heart lies in its message. It is a song about living inside pain long enough to recognize the strength it can uncover, about moving through brokenness to find something whole.
The release also launches Imperfect Beauty, a platform Katie Runnels created to expand her vision beyond music. Through it, she advocates for radical self-acceptance, drawing on her experience as an educator and advocate for young people, including those living with ADHD. The initiative blends art, mental health awareness, and body-positive education into a single movement that refuses to separate healing from creativity.
Runnels describes her music as “authentic, honest, soulful, emotional”—qualities that come through clearly in “Imperfect Beauty.” It is the sound of an artist returning not with a polished mask, but with the courage to show scars.
For those who have followed her journey, this release feels like a powerful reintroduction. For those just discovering her, it offers a clear first impression: Katie Runnels makes music that matters, music that dares to transform vulnerability into strength.
