Stella. reached his subversive zenith with his latest alt-indie pop earworm, Friendly Reminder, which is anything but what it says on the tin. The neon-lit synth lines may deliver nothing but pure euphoria, but the lyrics, as they pour from the singer-songwriter’s euphonic vocal register, reach the epitome of ruthlessness to remedy anyone who still carries contempt for their toxic exes.
The sticky-sweet synth-pop hooks and Stella.’s organically seraphic harmonies honey the cathartically cut-throat lyrics, making you almost second guess the reprises given the juxtaposition between the butter-wouldn’t-melt textures and the vindicating attestations to how healing doesn’t always need to lead to wishing the best for someone who deserves to discover that karma is an even bigger bitch than they are.
If you constantly find yourself tied to trauma bonds, follow Stella. like your life depends on it; he’s a rare artist that can cut through the static of superficial pop, hit close to the bone and deliver anthems that are as infectious as they are empowering.
As an ingenious way of supporting his new release, the NYC singer-songwriter developed his own dating app; swipe your way into your next clusterfuck situationship here.
Friendly Reminder was officially released on September 27; stream the single on all major platforms, including Spotify.
Follow Stella. on Instagram.
Review by Amelia Vandergast