Track of the Day: ada ardor – Horse (2023)
The easiest way to describe singer-songwriter and producer ada ardor is a mystical siren descending on audiences with kaleidoscopic twirls of sound in swaths of sparkling light. This is my introduction to the UK-based artist, but she is already turning heads across the globe. From France to the USA to Brazil, Australia and the UK, ardor has received rave reviews, radio airtime, and gained a reputation for confident performances at venues and festivals. Come join us as we jump into her cinematic soundscape with ‘Horse’.
Following her well-received debut single ‘Dream Trance’, ada ardor shifts to a modern-day alternative pop style in ‘Horse’. A veil of Depeche Mode fell across audiences in ‘Dream Trance’, but a greater Ace of Base reminiscence can be heard in the sophomore single. Yet, just as there is a tip to 90s pop, threads of electropop with a heady classical voice in the background are interwoven in this sonic tapestry.
Just as the melody draws you into a tunnel of moving sound, the lyricism is what adds profoundness to ‘Horse’. ada ardor explains:
“The song tells a story of competition and conformity in a world where girls become women too soon, and even in youth wealth and class divides are inescapable. The protagonist…wants to keep to the simple morals of honesty and kindness while the rest of the world seems to hurry her up with the question: is she staying or moving?”
I mention the lyricism is thought-provoking in its representation of society where teenagers grow up too soon, but the instrumentation acts as a heartbeat of the song. Electronic beats pulsate like a pounding heart, while the synths and guitars carry you along in a sweep of sound. ardor’s twinkling vocals add a serene tranquillity in a mellifluous soothing; however, a breaking backing vocal screams “don’t make me change”. Obscure with a melodic avant-garde flair, ‘Horse’ is the theme song for a pre-apocalyptic loss of innocence.
For more from ada ardor, check out her official website, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
