Indie
Starchild’s “PG-13” is a love letter to teenage romance
If you’ve ever had a sweet crush that made your heart feel like it was on a trampoline, “PG-13” will resonate with you most awesomely. Starchild, the queer dance punk musician and poet from Williamsburg, VA, swaps out distortion and misery for something softer, sunnier, and just as emotionally potent on this indie pop reggae gem.
“PG-13” is a cacophony of butterflies-in-the-stomach innocence seen through a rainbow-tinted lens. With lax reggae grooves underneath airy pop melodies, the tune emits a nostalgic warmth. It is the musical equivalent of doodling hearts in the margins of your notebook when you should be working on your homework, daydreaming about somebody who makes you feel like everything out of your imagination becomes suddenly electrified.
“PG-13” dances into your ears with an irresistible, frolicsome charm that epitomizes the essence of summer break in song. Starchild’s self-assured lyrical exposure is a breath of fresh air. Inspired by the cutest girl Starchild has ever seen, it cut the preamble from an unbridled rush of giddy, unfiltered emotion. The voice is earnest, a little breathless, and completely real, bringing a tender specificity that strikes home, especially for queer listeners who very rarely hear their first crushes celebrated in such an open and joyful manner.
It’s a taut song, and the reggae undertow gives it an easy lilt and confidence that grounds things just the right way. It’s that mandate of lightness and depth, a musical tightrope that Starchild easily walks. “PG-13” doubles down on the awkwardness, the shine, and the exposure of first feelings, and in so doing, it lodges itself directly in your heart. It’s both an homage and an innovation, a celebration of queer joy, innocence or ignorance, and the power of seeing someone and feeling like you’re feeling everything at once. And in a world that often rushes right past the R-rated material, “PG-13” reminds us that the true magic is sometimes in the blush rather than the smooch. And Starchild nails that magic.
Artist Spotlight
Blake offers a dreamlike sound set in a timeless forest with latest release “Blake”
Esma enters a symbolic, emotionally charged world with the latest release, “Blake,” that feels more like a psychological ritual than a song. Inspired by William Blake’s poetic universe, the haunting line, “My specter around me night and day / Like a wild beast guards my way,” creates a sense of unease and mystery. From here, listeners enter a dark world of identity, fear, and truth.
“Blake” is a dreamlike art film set in a barren, timeless forest, rendered in ancestral black-and-white imagery. The song’s visual and emotional story follows Esma and a masked female figure, the “specter,” the hidden self most people try to hide. It becomes a struggle between social masks and buried truths, light and darkness, survival and emotional surrender.
“BLAKE is the name we give to everything we can’t say in public.” Esma’s description of the song is perfect. The release’s emotional heartbeat is that idea. “Blake” invites listeners to accept their hidden truths and silenced parts.
Album Review
Headmaster opens a new chapter with “Seasons Vol.4: Spring,” a fresh journey of renewal
Headmaster returns with a new body of work called “Seasons Vol.4: Spring,” an album that completes a bold, carefully planned musical vision. The project is part of a larger “Seasons” tetralogy, which is a collection of four albums released at the start of each meteorological season. With each release comes the next chapter to a living, breathing story of life, feeling, and change.
“Seasons Vol.4: Spring” creates a sound world that is personal yet broad in scope. The album opens with “Spring to Life,” a bright start that sets the stage for growth and change. “Didn’t Even Know Their Name” is more contemplative, looking at human connection and the fleeting nature of our encounters. “April Days” is a soft sense of time passing and waking to feelings.
Then there’s “The Season for Love,“ a warm, expressive tune about emotional openness. Heaven is softening, higher, slowly, peace through patience. “The Willow Seed“ is about soft starts and the promise in little moments, and “The Willow Tree“ closes the record with a sense of maturity and fulfillment that feels grounded.
This project is connected to a larger story, as are the other chapters of the tetralogy. The cover features the Hertswood Academy shield, adding a personal and symbolic layer to the release. The Headmaster also portrays the CEO and Executive Headteacher of the Hertswood Academy Trust. With “Seasons Vol.4: Spring,“ Headmaster delivers a thoughtful record that captures change, growth, and the beauty of beginnings.
Connect with Headmaster on Website | Facebook | Spotify | Instagram
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