We have been fascinated with the rise of Stephanie Happening and his genre and gender bending pop sound with intentional brand of storytelling and art laced with activism, so when we heard that the talented artist was back with Smash Hits, we were curious to say the least, and couldn’t wait to listen and share our experience.
Setting the tone with a fiercely dramatic orchestral strings arrangement with breathy ad libs, Stephanie Happening opens Smash Hits with a pristine pop vocal and the metaphorical lyrics, “Your shadow walks in before you do, every glance a spark, every word cuts through, I’m caught in the rhythm of your reckless spell, where your slap hits and harmonies swell…”
We immediately connect with the double entendre of Smash Hits, and the poetic prowess that manifests with the clever concept. As always, the production is refined, assertive and bold. Smash Hits is fun and dance floor friendly – the layered choruses with astral disco strings add further emotion to the piece.
Stephanie describes the song as “survivor‑coded storytelling built for scenes of empowerment and identity reclamation”. The piano interlude is sublime, laced with the return of the breathy ad libs and a stunning and cinematic reconstruction of the beat with fantastical strings and a stunning final reprise!
This could be extremely iconic in a future version of Pitch Perfect – the intention that Stephanie Happening creates with is truly unparalleled. There is an unrivalled consciousness to his artistry, and the songwriting is nothing short of genius.
We have added Smash Hits to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS and TRIPPY playlists, whilst we continue to stream Stephanie Happening‘s exquisite growing discography, and anticipate future releases from the star.