IAN SWEET (Jilian Medford) has officially entered her shimmer-pop era, underscored by her new EP, STAR STUFF, out as of July 14 via Polyvinyl. In an Instagram post, Medford wrote, “THIS EP IS ABOUT BEING HEARTBROKEN AND DEPRESSED !! BUT I WANTED YOU TO BE ABLE TO DANCE TO IT!!!” Sure enough, the EP embodies that sort of reckless abandon that follows the devastating break-up blow.
STAR STUFF is a flash of summer despite the sadness that lurks beneath the surface. While the EP mainly deals with the painful process of trying to move on after a relationship, there are glimpses of true exhilaration and euphoria throughout it. A dream-pop gem, STAR STUFF feels like that awkward mid-point of healing, where you’re not entirely over it but start to notice all the magical moments you’d been blind to before. Split between the pain of the past and the catharsis that comes with letting go, “DIE A MILLION TIMES” features fluorescent synths that underscore the head-spinning visions Medford tries to suppress
“‘DIE A MILLION TIMES’ is about being stuck in a negative thought loop that you know you could escape from if you really tried but you’re not willing to let go yet,” says Medford. “A thought loop that is so painful and destructive to your brain but yet you want to keep replaying certain memories over and over. I was living in a fantasy world about a relationship that didn’t end up working out and kept inviting in the thoughts and memories that I knew would continue to destroy me but I wasn’t ready to move on from them yet in order to help myself.”
Concluding the EP by diving into some glitch-core, the “FIGHT” remix by Dagr features sticky beats and the sort of distortion akin to flashing club lights. While the original version possesses the same visceral rush of car crashes and confessionals, the remix intensifies it with an incandescent build-up.
Medford will kick off her North American tour later this month in Seattle. A complete list of dates is available here, and tickets can be purchased on her website.
Check out the new visualizer for “DIE A MILLION TIMES” below, along with the complete STAR STUFF tracklist.
STAR STUFF Tracklist:
1. FIGHT
2. DIE A MILLION TIMES
3. STAR STUFF
4. FIGHT (DAGR REMIX)
