Esphyr is from Ukraine, but you might not catch this fact while listening to her bright new single, “Fighter.” It begins with sweet electric guitar chords, before its danceable percussion kicks in. What follows is just under three minutes of extremely sugary pop.
Granted, the song is titled “Fighter.” However, this lyric has more to do with personal battles than anything remotely nationalistic. It is a song all about positivity. It’s also both clean and innocent. You can play this one for small kids, and if they learn it and sing along, you don’t have to worry about them also learning any dirty words or unsavory sexual references.
It’s also a very modern track, featuring up-to-date percussion touches. Esphyr sings its words with a warm, friendly, sincere voice. In places, Esphyr’s voice is multi-tracked. There are also instances where her voice is treated technically to sound child-like.
The song’s melody is extremely catchy. You’ll likely be humming it even after hearing it only once. Oddly, Esphyr is pictured on the song’s artwork, in black, white, and gray tones, looking rather guarded and mysterious. However, when she sings, she sounds cheerful, like a happy-go-lucky girl next door. Perhaps, some of her other songs reach down to a darker place. This one, though, is nothing but up, up, up.
This song’s aim is a reminder that, even though military conflicts occur in various places in the world, people still go on with their lives. She’s not a soldier, after all, but a pop singer. Also, people – both in and outside the Ukraine – need a break from all the bad news. It must get awfully painful after awhile to take in all the bad war news. This song is a frothy diversion, the way a tasty ice cream cone can make you forget for a minute about an especially hot day.
With its guitar textures, instead of strictly computerized keyboard parts, this track has a bit of an ‘80s retro feel. There was a time back in England of the ‘80s, where dance songs incorporated a lot of rock elements – especially guitar. In that respect, this song sounds more like a dance-y pop song, rather than a strictly dance music concoction. In fact, its bounciness may well remind you of the joyous feel of Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” Although she doesn’t come right out and say it, one is left with the impression that Esphyr, too, just wants to have some fun now and again.
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Even if you don’t particularly care for dance music, as a genre, you’ll probably make an exception for this song. It’s just so darn pleasurable. So, why can someone who comes from such a dark place create such bright music, when more peaceful locales struggle to make songs this joyful? That’s a tough question to answer. No matter what, there’s no arguing with the utter success of this song’s ability to put a smile on your face. Stop arguing and attempting to figure it all out, and just lose yourself in this aural bundle of joy.
-Dan MacIntosh
