Despite a 2022 that saw Stela Cole hit the 1m monthly listener mark, 4x her social media following, and have her strongest streaming year to date. Stela (real name Hollyn Shadinger) felt mentally and emotionally apart from herself. Creatively unfulfilled, overwhelmed, and uninspired by social media. Stela Cole used 2023 to address her mental health, exit her label deal, black out her profiles, delete the apps, and trade doom scrolling for her guitar, the studio, and her favorite records.
Working closely with a core group of collaborators, Stela has meticulously crafted a sonic world inspired by Fleetwood Mac, The Mama’s and Papa’s, Tame Impala, The Eagles, Arctic Monkeys and more. The result is more than a musical evolution; it’s a rebirth.
Partnering with Award-Winning Director Eliot Lee, Stela has created a cinematic world through a series of music videos and vignettes featuring co-star Noah Gonzalez. Each piece of content is thoughtfully connected to one another in an endless loop. It is these endless loops, repetitive cycles, or habits that inspired the themes of the upcoming body of work.
“Midnight Killer is about the revival of empowerment and re-discovery after a losing myself. It’s about becoming stronger through the pain, and learning how to protect my heart and energy moving forward. It’s the Phoenix rising from the ashes. No more sacrificing my character. No more losing myself.”
“Midnight Killer is a crucial turning point in the storyline of my debut album. My team and I wanted the video feel cinematically thrilling, while having vulnerable flashbacks to show the journey of heartbreak to empowerment. I love how my directors Eliot Lee and Maya Sassoon were able to create this perfect balance of femme fatale and human relatability. My Co-Star, Noah Gonzales, and the rest of the cast were frozen throughout the video to emphasize the tables turning. The cigarette serves as a metaphor for me taking away his power and regaining my sense of self worth.”
