Dear listeners and readers of Soundville,

When an artist appears who moves outside the accepted system of the music industry, it immediately catches your attention. That’s exactly why I want to share with you the stunning album ‘Butterfly’ by Starchild. But let me give you a bit of background first. Starchild makes incredibly cool, one-of-a-kind dance music. You know, it really comes off like a protest, a revolution, driven by honesty, openness, and maybe a desire to show the world that not everything with commercial shine has a soul. That’s exactly what I felt when I first saw Starchild and heard this album.

I love how symbolically and subtly ‘Butterfly’ reflects both the concept of the release and the concept of Starchild’s life and music. What is a butterfly? It’s a small, beautiful, light creature that carries wonder, freedom, and independence on its wings. It lives in a big and frightening world and does not fear being bright and one of a kind. You know that the pattern on a butterfly’s wings is always different, just like every iris is unique. And each of the 14 tracks on ‘Butterfly’ has that same unique coloring. When you first dive into Starchild’s music, you need to understand, this is the start of a show. The lights go out, the spotlights flash on, and Starchild performs music that flows straight from his soul. To me, this feels like making music without the involvement of big labels, without mainstream commercial influence, without trying to fit into trends, algorithms, or complicated promotion strategies in the social media world.

‘Butterfly’ is the soul, the experience of Starchild, which he shares with listeners through wild emo songs, through reggae, and even through worship of a goddess in a dance beat. In ‘Butterfly’, Starchild tells his story, a story of learning to love and embrace the beautiful people around him. I have to say, it’s a hard road, full of mistrust, but it ends in the glow of stars and the acceptance of mutual feelings with an open heart. So I suggest you take a moment, let’s hit pause and listen together to the best tracks on the album, the ones that moved me the most.

I feel like I have to start with the track ‘Garden Walls’ because it immediately shows who Starchild is and reveals the sound of the album. In ‘Garden Walls’, a bright dance beat takes over every second, the vocals are loud, high, and free, floating through the melody, and it gives a sense of freedom. The slight theatrical touch in Starchild’s delivery is intriguing. It is a great opening that instantly charges you with energy and makes you want to turn the volume up, because the party is starting!

I like how in the track ‘Headphones & Cellphones’ Starchild leans into a more dream pop sound with electronic synth pads and sharp keys that create a neon atmosphere. I can picture the lights going out, neon flashes of club light flickering in front of your eyes, and people dancing nearby to ‘Headphones & Cellphones’. A very bright modern pop song! The groovy synths in ‘Like A Deer’ blend with a groove electronic beat, and the almost rock style vocals drop lower, taking on a more dramatic tone, as if Starchild is revealing his most important secrets and has no fear of sounding bold and loud. It is a great track that brings confidence to the soul and fills you with energy. Absolutely club-ready, bright, and attention-grabbing, ‘Michigan Women’. The vocals shift again, showing the versatility and creativity of Starchild. The mix of almost disco, retro synthpop, and dark pop vocals brings new colors to the sound of ‘Butterfly’. It is incredibly cool! In the theatrical section and spoken word part, the energy and passion reminded me of Tim Curry’s iconic performance of ‘Sweet Transvestite’. ‘Michigan Women’ is a very strong track that perfectly captures this bright, surprising, beautiful, and endlessly inspiring atmosphere.

I want to highlight ‘Emily’ because it has the longest runtime on the album, five minutes and fifty-five seconds. And during that time, the melody shifts several times, transforms, the vocals of Starchild slip right into your consciousness, and the light pop energy lets you feel this track as if it is a real musical that you need to feel and picture in your mind. Scenes. Very cool! I liked the harmony between the tracks ‘When The Mother Sings’ and ‘Butterfly’. The slow, romantic, melodramatic ballad ‘When The Mother Sings’ puts you in a gentle hypnotic state, only for ‘Butterfly’ to completely flip the sound into a bright, juicy, dance beat. ‘When The Mother Sings’ gives you a breather before the peak, bright ‘Butterfly’. That is a great conceptual move that immediately hooks you in.

The final track, ‘She Is Rising Up In You’, lasts only one minute and fifteen seconds, but holds as much emotion as if it were a full-hour performance. There is no arrangement, just voices, harmonies, and feeling. The repetition of a phrase that sounds like a mantra brings calm and creates the feeling of a new space, of music that only Starchild could make. It is a very strong ending to the album, highlighting unity, recognition, love. And that is undeniably important in a world that is often selfish and lonely. That is why I recommend everyone to follow Starchild, to listen to his music, and to feel surrounded by love and freedom. This was really cool!

Hey Starchild! Thank you for releasing such amazing music! It is unique, bright, and really hits. In your music, I heard more sincerity, care, and true enjoyment of the process than in many very popular artists. I truly value your honesty and your desire to speak loudly about feelings and emotions, it makes your sound great, alive, and memorable. I am sure that for some listeners, this kind of music will help them feel stronger, more important, more needed. I was left inspired by your sound and I will show the album to everyone, so they can listen too, feel it, and know your story. I love this and I want more. I am your fan!

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With much love,
Soundville