Qastalani – The First Time (2021)
Getting over an ex can be a hard process with people going through different phases to do so. Qastalani is taking a novel approach to telling this story with his single ‘The First Time’. Through the single, he tells the story of meeting someone for the first time, becoming intimate and the quest for exclusivity. While generally a good experience, this is tainted by the understanding that the new relationship is all about getting over the last.
A rather sad story, it is one that many people can relate to and has been crafted masterfully into a captivating single. Packed with emotional hits, he pours his own experiences and thoughts into each song he makes. Writing music that is true to him, his songs resonate with listeners.
‘The First Time’ pulls you in with a warbling twilight feeling through the depths of the melody. Using layers of tones, there is a feeling of the song pulling you into the dark depths before blacklights zip past you on the chorus. It is a rather intense melody that creeps up on you and pulls you under while you are completely unaware. This is a great sonic representation of the emotions of the story in the lyrics.
While the melody is intense, it is really the vocals that shine and hold your attention. Qastalani’s voice has an autotune edge that works so well with the melody. As his performance lightly ghosts over your senses, he effortlessly draws you into the story of the single. He takes you from first meetings to falling into a physical relationship to questions of exclusivity. This all comes to a head at the end with the understanding that the narrator really wants his first love back and has been using the new partner as a means of getting over his ex. This all slides together with the perfect melding of pop and RnB for a sultry and emotive single.
Qastalani tells a relatable tale through the mixture of pop and RnB that is ‘The First Time’. While the melody pulls you under his emotive spell, it is the vocals that you should really pay attention to. He inundates you with the depths of emotions through his performance while telling a sad tale that is unfortunately too relatable for many people.
