The first freeze has yet to descend on Massachusetts, but when it does, Laurel Smith will have our insulated soundtrack. The North London alt-provocateur dropped an icy ode to awareness this past Friday (November 22) via “snow queen,” a slick electronic-pop and hip-hop hybrid that smothers an awakening of fulfillment in warped beats and deadpan cool. If heat comes from within, then Smith’s magnetic glow is easily identifiable.
“When Jay Flew and I made snow queen, I felt like I was stepping into a character,” she offers. “The whole song is painting a picture for the listener, the icy pads and mellowed out Koto plucks set the scene of a girl who lives at the top of a snowy mountain; surrounded by riches, but never content. She was granted a wish to get everything she ever wanted by a higher power, who now laughs at her naivety from above. In its metaphorical sense, snow queen shows that true happiness comes from within, which is something I think I was beginning to properly understand at the time I wrote the song.”
It’s a lesson we can all learn from, regardless of the season and snowfall. Get lost in the hazy magnetism of “snow queen” below, and stay tuned for more from Smith as the weather powers forward.