Holy Basil has never been one to run from reinvention, but on her new
single, “Lovechild of the Greatest” the transformation she takes could
turn out to be her boldest yet. The track is a theatrical, alt-pop
mission statement that’s equal parts classic and decidedly of the
moment, a statement of intent that Holy Basil is not here to follow
footprints but write her own stories in the sand.
Written during
what Vorona Cote describes as a period of creative renaissance,
"Lovechild of the Greatest" is the idea of becoming itself. It’s a
tribute to the icons who came before with untamed lyricism straight from
the Kate Bush playbook, or fearless eccentricity à la David Bowie, but
it’s also a signal that influence is just the beginning. Holy Basil
absorbs those signposts, flips them inside out, and brings them back up
on her own terms.
The song itself is melodramatic. Striking in
scope, brought to buoyancy with swelling melodies and brash,
shapeshifting production, it’s the type of sound-stretching terrain that
convinces the listener to surrender completely. At its center is Holy
Basil’s voice, urgent, commanding, and emotional. She sings not in words
but in presence, as if in the voice of every artist who ever taught her
to be fearless, then chose to step beyond them.
"Lovechild of
the Greatest" has a near-mythic quality. Sure, it has that title, which
seems to imply pedigree if nothing else, and naturally, the subject of
corpus mayhem is rife with suggestions of body lineage, as Just walks us
through genital algorithms, digital eldritch uteri, and bloody moguls.
Holy Basil doesn’t just pay tribute, she creates her own mythology. The
larger-than-life energy of the track makes it more than a single, it’s a
manifesto, a work of art that demands to be heard and stays with you
long after you’ve heard the last note.
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