NEFELI ON CLOUDS - Twenty-Seven

The dimmer side of pop has, for the most part, been on a slide in popularity compared to its more danceable and bubbly counterparts. The influence that artists such as Lorde and Billie Eilish once had on the pop zeitgeist has declined, leaving room for new innovators in this space to come in and push dark pop forward. The alt-pop project Nefeli On Clouds, comprised of singer Nefelie Gialama-Sölter, and her partner, producer Alessandro Giovanetto, seeks to reimagine the aforementioned artists in a new, more ethereal kind of way with their latest single, “Twenty-Seven”. The pulsing lows in the song are like a heartbeat, the lifeblood of a song that digs into the multitude of emotions that arise at the initial point of falling in love, where every possibility is laid out and one doesn’t know which road this relationship will take.

Nefelie’s vocals are arresting, to say the least; her voice carries a fullness that some of her genre’s biggest artists often lack in favor of wispy, airy vocals. Her vocal expressions help amplify the lyrics here, which often feel like a stream of consciousness detailing each feeling the narrator experiences. This creates a much more honest depiction of the initial spark of love compared to songs with much simpler, less abstract plotlines. “Twenty-Seven” is a remarkable achievement for Nefeli On Clouds, and is a must for anyone looking to find the next big thing in dark alt-pop.

Catch 'Twenty-Seven' on Spotify: