Coming up on the first anniversary of a global pandemic, one tends to think of all that they could have accomplished, or all that they have accomplished despite the challenges COVID-19 has presented. However, some artists have prevailed and managed to utilize the time spent at home to hone their craft and push their talents during these times of lockdown. With some musicians just getting started in their career, like Holly Humberstone (“Falling Asleep at the Wheel”) who are using this time to strengthen their fanbase, or industry veterans like Taylor Swift (“cardigan”) who have used this past year to release two full-length albums within a matter of months, music has still managed to succeed tremendously despite the lack of live shows and performances.
Owen St, who started releasing singles within the past year between the platforms of Spotify and SoundCloud, released his debut extended play, “Dahlia” on Feb. 26. Otherwise known as Owen Stuart, the young artist is quite an impressive one. Having only released four singles before this initial debut, he’s now settled down with It’s Like That Records for his 2020 singles of “Confetti” and “Laela” and the 2021 EP release of “Dahlia,” whereas his first two singles of “Lilac” and “Babyblues” were with Neon Eden.
Releasing the single “1,000” along with its music video, Owen St’s established sound of R&B and Soul show much more in his earlier singles while “1,000” is a refreshing work that has many of us facing winter in a summer state of mind. Maybe it’s the use of watermelon that seems to be a staple in summer hits like Harry Styles’ “Watermelon Sugar,” or just his silky voice and amazing beats, but Owen St hits it out of the park with this groovy and catchy single. Paired with a colorful and fun music video that seems to encompass the likes of an ideal summer with friends within three minutes between reminiscing and enjoying the company of others, the song also focuses on the fever pitch one can feel with a new love and how they never want that initial love and honeymoon phase to end. The music video also creatively hints at the other tracks on “Dahlia” as well with “What Month Is It?” written on a cassette tape.
“What Month Is It?” definitely takes the energy down a notch from “1,000” but it leans more into the R&B roots heard in previous singles of Owen St. A very peaceful song that displays more of the vocalizations and the range of the artist, “What Month Is It?” almost acts as a lullaby and ode as to how all the days seem to blur especially when one is head over heels. “You melted all my January / Can’t wait ‘til May, may we get married? / On the 30th of February / That’s every day for you and I / You and I.” Much like “1,000,” “What Month Is It?” teases the next and final song of “Dahlia” with the lines “On where you’re taking me, will you turn the page for me? / Will you turn the page?”
“Paige” is possibly one of the most fun tracks on the EP between all of the imagery full lyrics and play on words. “But I can’t put you down, Paige Turner / My lovely leather bound, Paige Turner.” Daniel Frank Kelley, otherwise known by the stage names of Showbiz Spitfire, and Paige Turner, solidified their career for being one of the original creators, producers and hosts of “So You Think You Can Drag,” focused out of New York City. The song “Paige” plays with this knowledge, especially with lines like “The talk of every town, Paige Turner / A lady in the street, but the man of the house.” Focused on the likes of portrayal and perception, this track rounds out an exciting first EP by Owen St.
Busting out of the gates with an amazing first EP, Owen St displays a range of talent and potential that is only just getting tapped into. In his own words, courtesy of Instagram, the artist has said, “I am going to keep on creating, until the quality of my art aligns with what I see & hear while my eyes are closed.” With such a beautiful and riveting start to his career, Owen St is just getting starting and is bound to turn heads.
Image from OwenStVEVO via YouTube
