Stella Talpo shares her new track ‘DUST' - the third single from MEDUSA
Following COLORS & Wonderland-backed singles ‘GOOD GIRLS’ and ‘QUICKSAND’, Stella shares her new track ‘DUST’, embracing the mythological themes present across her forthcoming debut album MEDUSA. Created with support from PRS’ ‘Women Make Music Fund’, ‘DUST’ releases on Thursday 3rd August via DeepMatter Records.
‘DUST’ takes the animalistic, fierce energy from ‘GOOD GIRLS’ & ‘QUICKSAND’, but ramps it up to new heights. Stella moulds her R&B sounds into a progressive alt-pop palette with chaotic, percussive production akin to Gazelle Twin and SOPHIE. The track channels themes of empowerment and embracing pain as a tool to drive personal growth, using the imagery of a trip to visit the Greek god of wine & revelry Dionysus.
“DUST is a call to action and a celebration of the human spirit's resilience and ability to rise above adversity. It’s an Invitation to rise, and refers to the energy surge when a woman feels the monster within her come alive; a tribal conjuring of her true nature. I wanted to encourage listeners to abandon their doubts and fears, and to rise up from the ashes of their past.”
Across the 11-tracks that make up her debut album ‘MEDUSA’, Stella challenges societal ideals and oppressive frameworks. A central thread of mythological, primal & visceral imagery is used to normalise elements of life that are part of the ugly (but real) human experience, contrasting with the sterilised society we occupy, where we’ve been detached from our primal nature. “Initially, the concept was inspired by the ‘Chimera’, a creature villainised for its grotesque form, which paralleled the story I wanted to tell about our inner darkness & imperfections, the things that make us animals that we’ve hidden away, particularly from a woman’s point of view.”
A result of years of musical experimentation and growth with producer Lewis Moody (30/70, Cherise), the project marks an injection of ethereal darkness and alt-pop sound design into Stella’s soulful R&B songwriting. Influences range from the leftfield electronics of Gazelle Twin and the cinematic soul of SAULT, through to engagement with contemporary feminist literature by the likes of Gillian Alban and Clarissa Pinkola Estés. Their writings acted as a springboard for many of the lyrical motifs explored by Stella, as she explains; “Women Who Run With Wolves unlocked so much for me creatively, inspiring a lot of the purpose, metaphors and repeated literary motifs on the album.”
Born in a small town in Italy, but now firmly rooted in South London by way of Singapore, Spain and America, Stella has released a trilogy of EPs in the lead up to her debut album. Finding widespread critical support from the likes of The Line of Best Fit, CLASH and New Wave Magazine, as well as BBC Introducing, Reprezent Radio and Rinse FM, she’s now ready to share a body of work that truly represents her eclectic musical tastes and travelled upbringing. Also a keen reader of literature and poetry, her evocative, insightful lyricism is at the centre of her alluring, boundary-pushing work.