Gabrielle Aplin admits finding social media 'difficult’ amid pressure to be ‘visible online’

Gabrielle Aplin has admitted she finds social media “difficult” and often feels “exposed” after posting about her life online.

The singer-songwriter, whose first major hit was a cover of Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s The Power of Love which featured in the 2012 John Lewis Christmas Advert, said her job means she feels a pressure to be “visible online.”

But the 27-year-old admitted she feels “less sad” when not active on social media.

She told the Evening Standard: “As an independent artist, I have a duty to interact with my fans and say thank you. I think that is really important.

"But I struggle with how to be honest and genuine without feeling exposed. I find it strange and difficult.”

Aplin added: “My phone died recently - It ran out of battery and never turned back on. And I had no phone for a few days. I was noticeably less sad.

"I feel like there is a pressure to be visible online. But then when you are releasing music it is a valuable tool. It’s tricky.”

The Chippenham-born artist was speaking around the launch of her latest single, Like You Say You Do, which is about social media.

“I had been watching a lot of Black Mirror when I wrote it,” she said. “[The song] is really quite dark when I think about it. It is about how we entertain relationships online and in the real world.”

Aplin’s third album, Dear Happy, is out Friday, January 17.