US artist Sylfronia King channels her hurt into her powerful new album Heartbreak.
Boasting a unique style than leans both on her quirky sense of humour and immersive, thoughtful storytelling, Sylfronia King has captured a devoted following thanks to these qualities and her wealth of experience as a magnetic, charismatic stage presence.
Her new new album Heartbreak has come from a place of pain and hardship for the artist. Written in the aftermath of someone she was in love with taking a step back after finding out about her health concerns. These feelings and emotions were poured into Heartbreak, a release that is packed full of highlights that perfectly encapsulate the appeal and guile that Sylfronia possesses as an artist. As the title suggests, the album is something of an emotional journey, stacked full of moments of heartache, reasoning, catharsis, passion and heart.
The albums title track ‘Heartbreak’ is an instant highlight, melding the artist’s melancholy subject matter and lyrics with an irresistibly dancy, 80s sheen and sound that takes you back to the golden era of funk-laden pop. In spite of its title, the soundscape alone makes for a feel-good, endlessly fun time that feels timeless in style.
‘Do Ya Love Me?’ and ‘Feel Good’ are more tracks that possess instant pop appeal, providing yet again, some of the album’s most upbeat and danceable moments, laced with delectable hooks and an instantly memorable and engaging feel. The fear with concept albums like this is that they can often get tied down by their balladry and sadness, but Sylfronia has put together a collection of tracks that explore a wide range of the emotions and feelings that come with a rollercoaster relationship and break up with an alluring deftness.
Things slow down on ‘Lovers’ and the change of pace allows Sylfronia to showcase the emotional resonance and charm of her sound, boasting a slick, R&B-esque softness to the vocals and the cool, laid-back instrumental. The artist’s gift for creating immersive worlds within her imagery and stories really comes to the fore on the track, with it being the first showcase of this side to the artist on the release.
‘Hero’ and ‘It Takes Two Hearts’ continue in this vein, the former track in particular being a majestic showcase of the soulful and poignant nature of the artist’s vocals, providing a powerful and often sombre note as we begin to reach the emotional climax of the album and the culmination of what it has all been leading up to. The track is a powerful and show-stopping emotional ballad, with the artist baring her heart and soul throughout. The contrast between ‘Heartbreak’ and ‘It Takes Two Hearts’ provides just a glimpse at the sheer range and talent that Sylfronia King possesses, and these moments of juxtaposition highlight the artist as the multi-faceted, exciting talent that she is, managing to convey these emotions and feelings in a multitude of ways.
‘Teacher’ closes out the album, and sees the artist looking to make sense of the situation she has found herself in, searching endlessly for answers and justification for the hurt that she is feeling. The track feels like the emphatic statement that this album deserved to end on, all-encompassing, soulful, powerful and bold, building to an emphatic climax that feels impossible to not get swept up in, sounding off what is a poignant, thoughtful and emotionally stirring album from the artist.
The album is set for release later this month, and despite the hurt and pain that the artist has been through to create it, might have just been channeled into inspiring her greatest work to date, packed full of highlights and emotionally stirring, relatable lyrics. From the gravity of the lyrics to the impossibly catchy melodies on display here, Heartbreak is an album that will stick to you and stay with you for long beyond your listen thanks to its multitude of endearing qualities.
The full album is set for release on February 22 and looks likely to be a landmark moment for the artist.
