Have you ever started listening to a song, thinking you knew where it was going, only to have your mind COMPLETELY BLOWN? This is precisely what happened the first time I heard “Skeleton” by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Stefan Alexander. The song starts out with a smattering of delicious marimba; an early indicator of the song’s massive “banger” potential—only no—FAKE OUT. As the beat fades away, enter Alexander’s sad, soulful vocals as the first verse starts: “Flickering lights or a bump in the night / You keep haunting me.” The shimmering beat starts to build up again as the second line of the verse starts, “Our love is dead, you’re a ghost in my head / Will you ever leave?” As the drama swells up throughout the pre-chorus, and first half of the chorus chorus, the song is injected with a jolt of electricity halfway through. It’s at this point that “Skeleton” achieves full-fledged BANGER status.
“Skeleton” is the perfect blend of scintillating synthpop and smooth R&B, held together by infectious beats and Alexander’s impressive vocal range, which includes a GORGEOUS, sparingly used falsetto. It’s truly an exquisitely executed pop song and a very strong indicator of what’s to come for this New York-based up & comer. Give “Skeleton” a listen below.
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While most of the song is up-tempo, it possesses a haunted, almost mournful quality about it—a quality that makes sense when you hear Alexander talk about it’s backstory.
“The song is about a very close friend I had in high school, but I rounded the friendship up to a romantic relationship for the sake of the song. The friendship ended in such a confusing and terrible way that it forever changed how I thought about the longevity of any relationship, both romantic and platonic.”
While “Skeleton” marks the official debut of Stefan Alexander—”the pop artist,” in reality he’s been musical his entire life. Growing up in a musical home, he started out singing and playing the piano, even going so far as to record himself with a tape recorder at the age of six. While his new music is steeped in dance and house influences, artistically Alexander draws inspiration from some of the greats, including Billie Holiday, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Sam Cooke, as well as more contemporary artists such as Whitney Houston and Justin Timberlake.
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At the moment, “Skeleton” is Stefan’s only song out but, thanks to Savoir Adore we have a brilliant new remix, which takes the song to a complete other level, transforming it into the ultimate house-inspired floorfiller. Give it a go up above.
Paul Hammer (1/2 of Savoir Adore) was drawn to the project initially after hearing Alexander’s vocal on the original, describing it as “a classic, strong R&B vocal delivery” and the “perfect candidate for a more house-oriented mix.” According to Hammer, “I’ve been wanting to combine traditional house beats with more ‘dream-pop’ elements, and this was the perfect song to finally give that a go.” Stefan was more than game to hear Savoir Adore‘s reimagination of “Skeleton,” especially after hearing their STUNNING remix of morgxn‘s “Love You With The Lights On.”
“Skeleton“—both original and in remix form—is available to download / stream everywhere (iTunes / Spotify).
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