The Kansas City-based, gender-fluid singer-songwriter and 2023 Charlotte Street Generative Performing Artist Award recipient Stephonne has shared their latest single, "Worship at the Chappell," a song that defies convention, embracing a sound that is both radio-ready and unapologetically outside the lines.
Fundamentally, "Worship At The Chappell" is a shiny and glittering pop/dance anthem that combines fun with worship. A tribute to fellow Missouri-born artist Chappell Roan, the song is just as firmly rooted in the theatrical flamboyance exhibited by Sylvester, Little Richard, and Lady Gaga. But both allegiances are mere borrowings as Stephonne makes both influences their own, creating a space in which the chapel and the nightclub can coexist, hold hands, and engage in clandestine make-out sessions beneath blinking neon.
From its opening beat, the song exudes a contagious energy that seems designed for the club floor, yet it also fits right in with pop radio. It is a sharp and concerted production, each layer created with a purpose to enhance Stephonne's commanding vocals. Their delivery shifts seamlessly between charismatic swagger and pure melodic power, the sort of performance that leaps out at you and sticks with you long.
There is a sense in every lyric and inflection of purposefulness, a bit of a celebration not just of Chappell Roan, but of self-expression so unapologetic. Stephonne's wordplay sparkles with wit, and the way they sing even underscores the joy of liberation that pounds through the record. Stephonne is reimagining what it means to be a Black musician in Kansas City, disrupting outdated narratives with music that celebrates fluidity, theatricality, and freedom. Their art is multidimensional, relentless, and ambitious, drawing inspiration from other pockets of pop music.
With "Worship at the Chappell," it screams out to people to let it out, to let go, not in the quiet, hushed, calm sort of way, but to let go and let it loose on the dance floor, let the performance be routine. It's a gorgeous anthem from an artist who is just beginning to make a splash, but has already demonstrated the kind of vision and presence that defines a real star in the making.
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