Etoile's beguiling new single, "Selenophile," is a whirling, shape-shifting sonic adventure that reframes self-acceptance as mystical and feral. This intoxicating salute to following our wildest instincts, culled from the B-side of her concept album, "LOUVE," is the second single and it comes flowered in a phantom-like cinematic landscape.
"Selenophile" is an updated version of a classic werewolf moon myth about a woman discovering strength in her so-called flaws. Instead of fearing her transformation, she embraces it. Her "wild and dark" traits are what make her powerful. Etoile directs this unrefined sense of agency through husky vocal harmonies and hazy synth strata, creating an ambiance that feels inextricably familiar and unattainably ethereal.
Recorded in her home studio just outside London, "Selenophile" is as sonically adventurous as its subject matter. Etoile brings sounds of her circus performer past to "Selenophile," adding playful xylophone twinkles and an eerie big-top organ. The result? The soundscape of a moonlit carnival is fun, unpredictable, and jubilant.
With its spellbinding blend of eerie elegance and bold self-reckoning, "Selenophile" is an invitation. A call to accept the pieces of ourselves we've been conditioned to bury. To run riot in a full moon. And to see beauty in the metamorphosis.