[Single] Stephanie’s ‘Friends’

SINGLE REVIEW: Stephanie- Friends

I’m still glad that I found Stephanie at the release of her debut single, because I really do feel that she has a lot of potential, even beyond the strong music she makes now. This is her fourth single, which from what I’ve heard is very good. I’m not exactly sure what to expect, but I guess we’ll find out! Here’s Stephanie’s ‘Friends’.

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Stephanie’s strongest A-Side to date is without a doubt Friends. Even though the song features no high notes, she packs so much energy and raw vocal power into it that you can’t help but be impressed. The song opens with percussion and electric guitar riffs, all of which support the rock-influenced atmosphere of the song as a whole. Stephanie shows us her lower register in this track, and I’m really happy with her performance. The verses are enjoyable, but the chorus is absolutely flooring. Stephanie gives her strongest performance in this song, and you can tell that she put a lot of effort into the production of this song. I’m glad that Stephanie has shown how multi-dimensional she is. With Kimi ga Iru Kagiri she showed that she is capable of beautiful ballads, (because of you let us know she makes mistakes too) Winter Gold proved she is able to create fun and energetic pop songs, and Friends shows that Stephanie can give an edgy performance in a rock song. I can’t wait for her album to drop, because she has a lot of singles to support it.

Vocal Performance Grade: A+ — Musical Performance Grade: A+ — Composition Grade: A

Overall Grade: A+

Well I guess another style Stephanie can do is… uhh, 90s pop? Let’s Go!! is definitely her most unique song, but I’m rather undecided on it. I suppose the only parts I don’t care for are the talking/chanting, and the first verses. The track has a great composition, and I like the flow. The song begins with rough, layered guitar tracks and soon gains power with a percussion section added in. It follows the same vein as Friends, but has a certain decades-old quality that is interesting but a bit questionable. Stephanie again delivers a fantastic performance; her execution powerful and flawless. The chorus is incredibly catchy, and it’s already stuck in my head. I just wish the chants weren’t there to disrupt the flow. It gives the whole thing a slightly cheesy atmosphere. I do like it, I just have problems with it, unlike her three strong A-Sides. It definitely belongs as a B-Side. I like how the song is filled with so much energy and fun, but I think the chorus talking was overkill. Stephanie doesn’t need other people’s help to make a great track.

Vocal Performance Grade: A — Musical Performance Grade: A+ — Composition Grade: A

Overall Grade: A-

SINGLE GRADE: A+

[mediafire hates me, downloads soon]