Francis and the Lights is the solo project of a man whose legal name is Francis Farewell Starlite. He’s prolific and well respected; he’s worked with Kanye West, Bon Iver, Chance the Rapper, Drake, Frank Ocean. Despite his the celebrity status his name might indicate, his production credits far outweigh his fame as a solo artist. He seems to be cruising through industry circles with little regard for active cultivation of recognition by the general public.
I first found out about him through the 2016 indie hit single “Friends (feat. Bon Iver).” It was co-produced by Francis, Justin Vernon, and Kanye West, a powerhouse trio alone, with help from Rostam, Cashmere Cat, and Ariel Rechtshaid. Bon Iver and Kanye West have worked together since Blood Bank (2009) and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010) respectively, although their longterm partnership has recently ended over political differences. Their collaborations have always been electric and each has greatly enhanced the development of the other’s sound, but the addition of Francis and the Lights adds an element of electronic expertise beyond even the scope of the two giants’ collective knowledge.
The music video for the song is obviously the brainchild of Kanye West: the camera pans around a white box in a dark room containing Francis and Kanye while they move around and eventually leave, wandering out into the blackness. The video had a viral effect, as does everything to which Kanye West gives his blessing. The camera focuses on Francis’ pained face while Justin Vernon sings my favorite lyrics:
Ooh, LA
I guess you gotta chase that ghost
Heard you bought some land in Mexico
And I said, "Way to go, man"
“Can’t Stay Party” came out on Francis’ Farewell, Starlite! (2016) later that same year. His solo record is full of similar vocoder-centered tracks, most of which feature synths and at least one instance of Francis screaming. A critic called the record “Owl City in tailored jeans” but then proceeded to give it a relatively positive review; while people can’t seem to place why his music is good, it definitely is. It’s 80s pop meets R&B meets hip hop meets dance meets a little bit of something else impossible to place.
Billie Eilish knows the art of genre-hopping more than anyone. Her newest record Happier Than Ever (2021) features an “I Know the End” influenced rock song, a track with distinctly funky changes, a couple of acoustic guitar ballads, a spoken word piece, and the pièce de résistance, “Oxytocin.” It’s somehow a club banger while maintaining the prominence of her signature whispered vocals. The song made it on the record because it will be absolutely bonkers live; Eilish plans to tour through July of next year. I’m hoping her festival shows, known for their intense visuals, feature strobes and the like for this song.
I’ll finish with a nod to Lorde’s early sound, as she shifts into being the happiest pop star anyone knows. Although I’m excited to see what Lorde does with this unbridled joy she possesses, I still love her Pure Heroine (2013) era. When Lorde first burst onto the scene with “Royals” she seemed like she’d never run out of angst. “Glory and Gore” opens with these lines:
There's a hummin' in the restless summer air
And we're slippin' off the course that we prepared
But in all chaos there is calculation
Droppin' glasses just to hear them break
She notably shifted from “we” in this album to “I” in Melodrama (2017), her perfect breakup record. It’s unclear thus far, with only two singles out, to determine how Lorde will refer to the happiness she’s experiencing. While I’m listening to Solar Power (unreleased), I’ll be thinking of all the younger iterations of Lorde, the heartbroken and the anxious versions, listening to her narration of coming into the most fruitful and beautiful time in her life. Her arc is an aspirational coming of age.