Harper Starling is a Los Angeles based singer-songwriter and Billboard recording artist. She has been featured in LA Weekly, Buzzfeed, Billboard Magazine, iHeartRadio, Teen Music Insider, and many other prestigious media outlets. Harper co-wrote her #1 Billboard Dance Club Song hit single “Euphoria”, with Kasia Livingston (Britney Spears, Jessie J, The Pussycat Dolls). The production work was done by The Perry Twins (Rihanna, Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez). Currently on tour, Harper will be releasing an EP soon which include collaborations with Carlos Battey (Madonna, Justin Bieber, David Guetta) and Steve Daly (Pink, Sia, Charlie Wilson). In the meantime Harper Sterling drops her brand new single, entitled “Beso” which adds a little Latin flavor to her usual EDM/Pop leanings.
This is my first listen to Harper’s work, so I quickly ran through her catalog for a better understanding of her musical slant, and I must say that it exceeded my expectations. In the era of auto-tune and rap, this is a refreshing and welcome voice.
Her vocals are sweeter, rounder and warmer than many of her female genre contemporaries, who have a penchant for shrieking their way through these type of soundscapes. Harper instead, can maneuver her voice like few others that I’ve heard, and it’s a gorgeous instrument.
Harper’s songs largely have catchy electro-based beats with carefully written lyrics and uplifting themes, helping her establish herself, and forge her own path in the music industry. You could dance to almost every song on her playlist.
Overall Harper Starling lives up to the words of her critical acclaim. Taking the EDM productions to side, every song in her catalog has an involuntarily effect of sucking you into the music.
Now “Beso” shows how Harper has her own style of fusing Latin elements with her electro-pop origins. The beat drops, the floodgates open, and the exotic rhythm springs to life; Harper soars above it, clear and effervescent. It’s a pure, ecstatic moment.
Over and above the infectious rhythm, the sensuous saxophone interludes, and the catchy hooks snatch your attention. As always however, it’s Harper’s nuanced vocal range, which make the stand out moments come off as nothing short of pop perfection. “Beso” is a prime example of her ability to combine instantly relatable emotions with understated yet rousing production.
The beat never once overshadows the vocals, which tease, weave and soar their way through the arrangement. It’s that specific blend which also defines the record itself, as Harper deftly balances the bounce of a floor-filler with the melody of refined pop.
The chorus and bridge portions of this track are vibrant and full of energy, possessing the melding of EDM and Latin qualities you probably never expected from a potential Harper Starling hit. The song isn’t just a slab of formulaic music pumped out of a factory, it’s an immaculate composition with all the magnetism of the captivating artistic match found in Harper Starling and the production.
Harper’s voice and the catchy beat will almost surely keep you coming back again and again. Furthermore, she comes across as very charming, talented, and pretty. All elements that definitely add to the success and appeal equation. Music tastes are very personal indeed, but Harper Starling transcends most of them, and is worthy of serious scrutiny, at the very least, regardless of your genre inclination!
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