Review: "Midnight Killer" - Stela Cole

Stela Cole’s latest single “Midnight Killer” is here! This song, although sounding dark and edgy, is all about a revival of empowerment, rediscovery, and becoming stronger through pain and hardships. Stela said this song for her is like a Phoenix rising from the ashes. This song is written in third person about a girl, who is actually Stela, who is no longer causing her own demise. Right away, she starts off the track by saying “she doesn’t get hurt anymore” and how she loves the more simpler, calmer things like the band The Doors. She tells the listener that they had never loved someone like her before. Now, she’s a “midnight killer/Hollywood thriller” who doesn’t make the same mistakes she used to. She found someone who put out her fire and she swore she'd never forget. Stela adds on to this girl's calmer life, saying she’d always be the first to leave with her partner, and her partner will put all their love on their sleeve for her. “She’s the nightmare of your dreams'', but she’ll be the person who will tell you “let’s get outta here.” Although there is some darker imagery in this song, there is an overarching theme of self-betterment.

“Midnight Killer” is such an interesting listen for all the right reasons. The production is beautiful, deep, and really built out. The song starts off as an enchanting, light track with some elegant plucked guitar strings and angelic harmonies, but takes a dark turn as soon as the lyrics start. Stela and her producers have a very clear image in mind, and it perfectly leans into that dark and vulnerable vibe that works great with the lyrics. Yet, the track still feels intimate, which comes from her voice. Especially in the lower notes in the verses, she has a raw yet powerful voice that’s very forward in the song. There are many synths used in the song, and I feel the best way to describe it is that it feels like a swelling undertow in the ocean. Stela also has some luscious harmonies, especially in the interlude. In my opinion, this track is perfectly crafted to perfectly align with the themes in the lyrics.

Hollyn Elizabeth Shadinger, professionally known as Stela Cole’ is an American singer-songwriter who first entered the music scene in 2018. She first started focusing on songwriting at 15 years old, and was noticed by Steve Sparrow, her eventual manager, after a couple of demos.  She attended Belmont University to pursue a degree in “Commercial Voice”, but dropped out after being signed by RCA Records. She released two singles with RCA, but was sadly dropped due to creative differences. Stela self-released her first EP “Woman of the Hour” in 2020 and her TikTok-viral song “I Shot Cupid” in 2021, which has amassed over 55 million streams to date. After this huge success, she signed with Ultra Records. Since then, she was a semi-finalist on the show American Song Contest to represent her home state of Georgia with her track “DIY”. There’s no telling what Stela Cole will do with her songwriting talent and her creative vision for her music in the future.

Written By Lauren DiGiovanni

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