A Chat with 3hirty 3alk (24.12.25)
Interview with Jay Lowe (Guest contributor)
Charlotte Ali is a Liverpool-based writer working under the name 3hirty 3alk – a self-taught mixed media project rooted in emotional honesty and lived experience. Without formal training, she has taught herself to write, conceptualise and produce her work as a way of understanding the way she viewed her past after an ADHD diagnosis. ‘Reclaim The Night’ is a six-minute epic crammed with incredible vocals and soaring harmonies. It is an anthem for the abused and the mistreated. The extremely intelligent songwriting is nothing short of stunning.
Is the context of ‘Reclaim The Night’ particularly personal to you?
3hirty 3alk: Yes, it’s personal, but not in a single event way. The song is rooted in lived experience; my own, my friends’, and the women around me. Most importantly, it gives a voice to those who no longer have one. ‘Reclaim The Night’ came from connecting those dots, understanding how early experiences shape what we accept, what we normalise, and how we move through the world as women. It’s personal, but it’s also collective. I wrote it knowing these stories aren’t rare, they’re shared.
How long did it take you to write?
3hirty 3alk: The original piece started as a spoken-word poem written fairly quickly, in a raw emotional state. I submitted it to a local magazine last year, where it was rejected. When I later reworked it into the choir/gospel-influenced version, it took around three hours to perfect the structure. Because I’m self-taught, I don’t write with rules, I write with instinct. Some lines stayed from the very beginning, others evolved as my understanding deepened. Words like “juxtaposed” weren’t there to sound clever, they were simply the most accurate way to articulate what I was feeling.
How much did Sarah Everard’s murder affect you?
3hirty 3alk: Profoundly. Like many women, it changed how I moved through the world. Sarah’s murder wasn’t just tragic, it was symbolic of something women already knew but rarely saw acknowledged so publicly. That line exists because it needed to. She should have made it home. We all should. The fact that she didn’t — and that it was at the hands of someone in a position of supposed safety — made it impossible to stay silent. There should be no luxury in returning home.
How has the track been received by charities and movements connected to it?
3hirty 3alk: The response has been overwhelmingly supportive, particularly from survivor-led spaces and women’s organisations. Charities, activists, and community leaders have shared the track and reached out, which has been incredibly affirming. Maggie Oliver has also expressed strong support for the song. Not every organisation aligns with it, and that’s okay. This song doesn’t soften itself to fit neatly into boxes. But the people it was written for have understood it instantly, and that’s what matters to me.
Were you concerned about releasing a six-minute track?
3hirty 3alk: Believe it or not, it was actually longer. This piece was never written for radio convenience, it was written to hold space. Some stories don’t fit into three minutes, and I wasn’t willing to dilute the message for palatability. If anything, the length is intentional. It asks people to stay, to listen, to sit with discomfort, which mirrors the reality of the subject itself.
Is local support important to you?
3hirty 3alk: Massively. I’m from Liverpool – my voice, my writing, and my worldview come from here. Having local platforms support this work feels grounding and meaningful. It reminds me that these conversations start in communities, not just headlines. TikTok has helped the song reach people far beyond my immediate circle, leading to radio features, podcasts focused on violence against women and girls, and performances at Reclaim The Night events, with more to come.
Promotion-wise, I’ve focused on grassroots sharing – social media, activism posts during the 16 Days of Activism, radio, and word of mouth. I wanted it to grow organically, not be pushed as a product.
When did you become interested in the women’s marches of the 1970s?
3hirty 3alk: While researching the origins of Reclaim The Night, particularly the marches responding to the Yorkshire Ripper. What struck me was how familiar the language felt – curfews for women, responsibility shifted onto victims, fear normalised. The song is written in the spirit of those marches, but for the world we’re living in now. Different technology, same conversations.
How do you feel women are treated in today’s society? Eastenders recently had a very powerful storyline featuring Joel, who has his head filled with hatred online and starts to view women as an inferior species.
3hirty 3alk: We’re living in a contradiction. On one hand, we talk about empowerment. On the other, misogyny is being repackaged and monetised online, particularly through the manosphere. Women are still expected to manage male behaviour, soften male discomfort, and absorb violence quietly. Storylines like the recent EastEnders one are powerful because they show how early and insidiously these beliefs are planted.
How much do alcohol and drugs contribute to male violence towards women?
3hirty 3alk: They can escalate violence, but they don’t cause it. Substances remove inhibitions, they don’t create beliefs. Violence comes from entitlement, control, and learned behaviour. If we want real change, we need early intervention, emotional education, and accountability, especially for young men.
Do you plan to release more music?
3hirty 3alk: Yes, but always with intention.
I see my work as poetic art rather than traditional music. My writing isn’t pretty, it’s truthful. I don’t think we have enough uncomfortable conversations in mainstream media. I’m inspired by artists like Sofia Isella, who communicate strong messages to younger audiences. I’d love to create more socially conscious pieces and eventually, re-record Reclaim The Night with survivor voices and allies — including men — responding through poetry or spoken word. Dave’s ‘Fairchild’ is a beautiful example of how that dialogue can begin. This is about dialogue, not monologue.
Learn more about 3hirty 3alk on Instagram, Facebook, Spotify and TikTok.
