Zine #06: Starring STOO
The sovereign of the galaxy invites us into their imagination as we chat artistry and expression.
STOO and I are sitting on a petite balcony overlooking the rainbow colored canals. The railings are made of bulletproof satin, physics be damned. Two plump, feathery cushions hover above a baby blue shag carpet. We sip pure pastel smoke out of transparent martini glasses. The chrome disc table, larger than my wingspan, holds ring stains that circle a bowl. Inside are dozens of shiny, star shaped fruits, still on their sparkling vine. As we watch the amorphous creatures in the water below put on their nightly neon spectacle, STOO talks to me with a tenderness and insight I didn’t know could be paired. It’s STOO’s world and I couldn’t feel safer. Actually putting words to the images this convo created makes me angry that I’m not on that petite balcony but luckily, the ethereal chat with STOO is reality.
The rest of reality is me sitting on my eggshell white pleather couch, peeling myself off using just the sweat on my skin as lubricant every ten minutes. It’s extremely hot in Los Angeles, and I’m a baby when my AC is broken. But the more I talk with STOO, the more I imagine a wild, stylized world where we’d escaped the heat to have a tea party. STOO, as a human, as a concept, as an entity, is transportational. And yes, I know that’s not a word but STOO’s energy is transformational in a way that transports you to new galaxies within your mind. Their imagination is infectious.
It makes sense that they’ve always had their hand in the arts, someway or another. “I was an actor first. I moved to Houston because I booked a show right after graduating. And then I auditioned for a local singing completion for pride month. I got eliminated, but instead of giving up I decided to pursue music full force. I met my former bandmate Luis (known as Lu X) at the competition. We bonded musically and decided to make some tunes. Through those experiments we made a project called ‘Costume’ by Bling St. (our band name). It caught local attention and after that it pretty much solidified that I was in the right space for myself creatively.”
Fast forward to now, they’ve released 2019’s SUPERSUIT and become one of Houston’s underground pop darlings. “My main mediums are pop music and fashion. I am a shape-shifting pop star. The mission is to always challenge myself creatively and keep people guessing on what I’m going to do next.”
SUPERSUIT is filled with moments where angles become curves. The heavily (but still delicately) produced but low key ‘Catch’ has the perfect blasé and blessed vibe. The 💅 emoji as a song; it then bleeds into one of my favorite STOO tracks; ‘The Dragon Ball.’ It’s a club, dance /ballroom style track with a STOO twist. They have a very hard to compare ability to match their contemporaries’ hype without sounding homogeneous. Rather than using the more, the merrier mentality when it comes to mixing, STOO’s tracks don’t need to rely on drops or vindicated structures to be club hits.
“I’m a gender-nonconforming femme, so my style is always influenced by the non-conformist approach I do to pop music as a songwriter. I want to challenge what a pop star “should” be.”
Throughout the album, they beautifully execute their low-key but energetic sonic aesthetic while weaving in an out of R&B, groove, mood and hyper pop for a cohesively inconsistent album - in a very good way. ‘Lo-Battery’ is a reinvention of the ballad using both futuristic and 90’s sounds. A bare beated and key backed track sees STOO cut open and stitch themself back together. It’s a beautiful reinterpretation of our connection to technology as a symbol of self-care. Their artistry is truly an open and heartfelt invitation into their journey of self-love
“Society mainly wants a pop star to fit the western standards of beauty and also be perfect. I don’t fit neither. It’s not a negative thing at all. I embrace the fact that I’m imperfect. That’s what makes the process and the work beautiful. I don’t ever feel alienated. I just know that I have continue honoring the Black and LGBTQIA+ pioneers that have come before me in the entertainment industry.”
SUPERSUIT was a world of aspiration and passion, born from tension. It was as much an exploration for us to listen and escape to as it was for STOO to create and consume it. The next era is an unknown but it’ll be a whole new exploration for STOO. That’s what makes them so addictive; everything is a new journey and they can’t wait to share it with you. And trust me, follow and listen and you’ll be so thankful they were willing to share.
Below are some highlights from our convo. My messages are in italics above the picture. STOO’s responses are screenshot inside the graphic.
Who are your biggest influences or inspirations when it comes to not fitting the mold?
Oooo love that it was hard for you. Which sounds like a weird thing for me to say but I just mean, I think it’s really interesting that this was the one that stumped you for a second. I think it exemplifies how fluid and outside of the mold you are because it’s such a liquid sensation, your influences. I know I’m a few days late, but it was just the year anniversary of SUPERSUIT.
How does it feel looking back at the release?
Created in tension and only recently a loving sensation, when you were amidst all the tension, what message or take always did you want to give your listeners? And now that you’re in a different space to receive it, would your answer change?
Growing up, what parts of you did you never see represented? What kind of listeners is your music for, who do you hope feels seen when they listen?
What would you say to anyone doubting whether they should take up space?
“Being in quarantine has given me lots of time to reflect on the next direction. Normally, I would have definite answer of what I’m going to do next because the gears are always turning. But for once in my creative journey, I don’t really know. I have been listening to more dream pop and groovy tunes. I’ve been feeling really soft and sensual lately. Maybe it’s because of my Saturn return... It’s weird because I’m always working on something or planning a moment, but I’m using my “stay at home” to get in good spirits for when we are all free to return to each other in person.”
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