Faye Webster surprised fans with a dreamy new single right on time for the start of Fall; “After the First Kiss,” subtly incorporates new musical elements that fans have never seen from her before. This single has strong orchestral and classical elements, which contrast with her usual musical style. Webster’s music typically falls under the genre of indie, folk, or alternative music, but some fans would argue that this single is far from any of these.
Although this single is a lot different from the rest of her music, her dreamy voice is still consistent in her new song. “After the First Kiss” lacks the country elements that Webster is so well known for, yet still evokes sorrowful feelings from listeners. Her hit album, “Atlanta Millionaires Club”, helped Webster become mainstream by experimenting with various musical elements that are uncommon in most indie music. Many fans think that “Atlanta Millionaire’s Club” is innovative because it subtly combines country and folk music with indie pop. This explains why fans were very excited to find that her newest single combines classical elements with her typical indie style of music.
Riley Modesto, a Junior at Mark Keppel High School, says “I was totally not expecting any new media from Webster, especially since she just released her last album, “Underdressed at the Symphony” a few months ago.” Modesto also tells us how “her new single is good, but very underwhelming compared to the rest of her music. It’s very different from what we are used to seeing from her, and it’s not really the type of music that I’m into. I like how she includes new musical elements but I’m not really a big fan of it.”
Anyssa Perez, a Junior at Mark Keppel, also agrees that this single was pretty underwhelming, “I liked this single but it really wasn’t what I was expecting from Faye Webster,” Anyssa Perez said. “I was sort of hoping for something more similar to the rest of her music, but I don’t hate it either. It’s pretty good, I feel like I just have to get used to this new sound from Faye Webster.” There are a lot of mixed emotions surrounding this new single since it is so different from what fans are used to; however, with time fans will likely warm up to this new sound.
“After the First Kiss” is a dreamy, romantic, and orchestral new single that is certainly worth a listen regardless of its mixed reviews. It’s exciting that Webster is stepping out of her comfort zone to experiment with a style of music that she knows some of her fans might dislike. This single is a breath of fresh air in contrast to the rest of her music; hopefully, she includes more diverse musical elements in her future music.
