REVIEW: Chloe Star - ‘the bed i lie in’ EP
Celebrating the first day of Pride Month, it only feels right to showcase a stellar queer artist. Chloe Star’s debut EP, the bed i lie in, is just as unabashedly raw & fierce as she presents herself. The alt-pop rockstar compiled these 5 tracks to perfectly encapsulate her vulnerable experiences with a sharp edge of striking guitar distortions— a unique combination that Star has tailored as her own.
Photo by Danielle Reuther
the bed i lie in is a great starting point to delve back in to what’s new & fresh in the alternative pop scene. The tongue-in-cheek leading track, “hollywood kills,” introduces us to the dark pop journey we’re about to embark on; waves of layered haunting vocals drift us into a vulnerable perspective as she recites, “I’ll do anything I can to get out of my head.” Track 2, “after thought,” sonically lifts spirits a bit higher with feel-good guitar progressions but lyrically addresses Star’s overwhelming sense of loneliness she can’t seem to shake.
Then, there are more upbeat tracks like “before i met your mother,” which starts off with a voice recording snippet of an argument but then shifts into lyrics of yearning that complements the tonality of the ebullient percussion. The song follows a string of romanticized toxic memories with a person from Star’s past, “Can we turn back time / Before we ever knew each other.” Following track, “said what i said on the internet,” is a full-throttled rock track that would undoubtedly incite a moshpit when performed live. Coming to an end, the final song on the EP is the leading track, “wasted youth,” which is a prime example of Chloe’s Star-power— by the first chorus, listeners are hit with an anthemic melody & an eruption of crowd backing vocals, as if to initiate the inevitable singalong. By the bridge, singing & clapping along will innately occur… listen at your own risk.
Star mentions struggling with substance abuse & ‘dancing with the devil’ in these tracks, making it clear that that chapter of her life is over. “This is the most authentic collection of songs I have ever written,” says Chloe. “Being able to put my heart and soul into this project has been so healing for me on so many levels. I am officially walking in my truth and can now shut the door on the bed I lie in.”
‘THE BED I LIE IN’ IS AVAILABLE TO STREAM EVERYWHERE NOW
WHERE TO FIND CHLOE STAR
Facebook | TikTok | Instagram | Spotify | Apple Music