But for those attending the avant-pop turned rock singer’s UK tour, sliding their way through the dense crowd with a pint in hand, Debby Friday’s opening slot became the backdrop for an unexpected, indie sleaze tinted extravaganza. You might’ve thought you’d entered the wrong venue, although you’d be pleasantly surprised.
At first glance, the Nigerian-Canadian musician’s second album, The Starrr Of The Queen Of Life, certainly looks like a party. Beneath the surface, however, are several enquiries and discoveries into herself. This sleek, vibrating dance floor keeps a hidden light switch – and it’s up to the listener to find it.
In 2025 especially, we’ve witnessed dance floors shift into somewhat of a sanctuary for spiritual awakening. FKA Twigs’ spellbinding EUSEXUA explored this head on, and following in its footsteps, Friday wavers between moments of intense heat and refreshing cool, pushing herself all the way. “1/7” ushers us into the strobe lights via flickering beats that sound like an audible materialisation of falling stars. A cathartic opener, it indifferently seeks attention through the spoken delivery of candid one liners such as “Poetry and nude selfies / Love the way that you know me” – eventually demanding that attention using production that should be blasting through the speakers of a bustling festival tent somewhere.
With help from Darcy Baylis, also known as Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, Friday was able to find more confidence in her singing abilities. Friday’s vocal delivery is as eclectic as her named influences – which range from the late pioneering SOPHIE to the vigorous, danceable rock of Death From Above 1979 – but she perhaps sounds most comfortable on “Lipsync”. The cool-headed electro-industrial rap spectacle is a strong contender for the hottest track of the year. Amongst these moments of pure bad girl chic, much of Friday’s music possesses this quality whereby it’s just as apt to listen to in a steamy strobe-lit room, as it is laying in bed, staring out of the window at dusk. “Alberta”, for instance, is as dreamy as it is danceable.
Electronic pop artists who’ve dominated in recent years provide perhaps an unintentional guidance. Friday’s melodic vocals on “Arcadia” are close to those of Charli xcx’s more downtempo cuts, whereas “Bet On Me” is a breakbeat-backed confession of her own self determination, fluctuating between delicate verses and a cheerleader chant, demonstrating a similar drum and bass urgency found in PinkPantheress hits.
The album’s cover shows Friday glaring into us, rather awkwardly levitating in a space between elevation and descent – which comes as no coincidence. Friday’s pace and stamina throughout is spot on, even if she’s not always sure which direction the music will send her. Plus, she’s well versed in a range of eclectic music styles, enough to make The Starrr Of The Queen Of Life a curious, engrossing listen.
