Brooklyn-based recording artist and R&B singer-songwriter Estephanie delivers a deep and introspective experience with her latest 6-track EP, For Reasons I Can’t Explain.
Growing up immersed in a wide range of musical genres, Estephanie draws inspiration from artists like Solange, Frank Ocean, and Erykah Badu. Her sound is a unique fusion that reflects her love for alternative R&B and neo-soul, making her a fresh voice in today’s music scene.
Her newest project, For Reasons I Can’t Explain, is a 6-track journey through Estephanie’s inner world, navigating the emotional ups and downs of her early 20s.
It kicks off with the chilling and deeply reflective intro track, “Testify,” a haunting experience that dives into the anxiety and self-doubt that we all face from time to time. The dark, brooding instrumentals almost hold a mirror up to Estephanie’s struggles with identity and social anxiety, pulling the listener into the depth of her relatable thoughts.
Next up is track two, “Ain’t Gotta Worry,” which shifts the mood slightly. The song starts off with a nonchalant tone, reflecting the mask Estephanie sometimes wears to shield her true feelings. As the track progresses, the emotion builds, revealing the pressure that comes from bottling up one’s emotions for too long. The song’s layered production enhances this transition to perfection—a true standout moment on the EP.
“No New Pills,” the EP's third track, is perhaps the most personal song on the project. In this sonically heavenly listening experience, Estephanie opens up about the dangers of addiction, societal expectations, and her desperation to succeed as an artist. The raw honesty in her lyrics, paired with a more direct R&B sonic approach, makes this track a powerful highlight.
The fourth song, “Just Say That You Don’t Wanna Be,” offers a brief moment of release. With lighter instrumentals that soothe the listener's soul, the song feels like a breath of fresh air amidst the heavier themes Estephanie has brought to light throughout the EP. It’s a gentle yet conceptually powerful realization that sees Estephanie acknowledge the need to let go and move forward as a world of new possibilities awaits.
“A Fatal Attraction” brings us back to Estephanie’s bread and butter with a classic heartbreak ballad. The stripped-down arrangement, featuring Estephanie’s piano prowess, perfectly paves the way for her raw vocals and emotional storytelling to shine bright. It’s a deeply personal track that explores how love and relationships evolve as we change, as terrifying or cathartic as that may be.
The EP closes with the outro track, “Mindful (A Note to Self),” a fitting conclusion that encapsulates the theme of self-discovery discussed throughout the project. It's a moment of reflection, paired with a meditative bell, offering listeners a sense of closure while still leaving them with the sense that Estephanie’s journey is far from over.
Hear it yourself and experience the beautifully crafted, deeply immersive EP 'For Reasons I Can’t Explain' by Estephanie, now available on all digital streaming platforms.
Welcome to Buzz, Estephanie! We're so impressed with the depth and emotion in your new EP, For Reasons I Can't Explain. What inspired you to create this personal and relatable project?
Thank you for the love Buzz. I wrote this project back in maybe 2022. At that time, I was at a pretty low point mentally and felt lost in who I was and where I was going. This project is a reflection and projection of all of those feelings. It’s raw; it’s weird; it’s whimsical; it's light and dark; it exposes sides of me that I often never show. I find it funny that I wrote the first and last tracks and then filled in between. It follows how I processed my emotions at the time, too.
The track “No New Pills” from the EP is particularly raw and honest. Can you share more about what this song means to you?
“No New Pills” was one of the first tracks I’d ever written about the desperation one can feel when wanting to be successful. I’ve felt it before, I know others have too. Being in my 20 somethings, I find it hard to feel like I have a grip on my path. All I know is that I want to make art. This is probably one of the most vulnerable songs in the project, the most personal to me. I talk about how badly I want to succeed for my family.
I talk about addiction and going down the wrong path. I talk about feeling like I’m never as present as I should be when it comes to my success, being so focused on a goal that I forget to take it slow and congratulate myself. I talk about expectations of others and experiences I’ve had (and I’m sure others have had) where I’ve been promised everything on a silver platter, just to end up lost and abandoned.
All of these things fill up my brain and ultimately can cloud my judgment when making decisions if I let them.
What was your goal regarding sound and style for the EP, For Reasons I Can't Explain? Did any genres or artists mainly influence this project?
Regarding having a goal for the sound, hmm, it’s hard to say. When I wrote these songs back in 2020, I produced the demos for them simultaneously, which is often how my writing process goes. I wasn’t thinking of anything other than what I was feeling at the moment. I now see and hear influences in punk, theatre, dance, alternative, pop, and RnB. It makes sense cause I did visualize the project as theatrical and very visual.
Also, thinking back on the process, I remember that “Mindful” was written from a demo instrumental that was initially called “Frank Ocean Inspo” cause I tried to make a Frank Ocean beat at the time lmao. A friend told me the project reminded her of Billie Eilish and Willow, which I’m honored cause I love them both, haha.
And I love Solange; I think you can hear her influence in “Just Say That You Don’t Wanna Be” and other songs I’ve written since then.
“Mindful (A Note to Self)” serves as the EP's powerful and personal outro track. What message did you want to leave listeners with?
“Mindful (A Note To Self)” went through 4 to 5 versions before it was finished. The original version was much sadder, much darker. It was originally a song that spoke about feeling unwanted as I am.
And as real of a feeling as that was; I had a conversation with a friend that completely changed the directory of that track. I had him listen to it and another version I had at the time, asking for guidance because I wasn’t sure what version I wanted to end this project with. He told me to ask myself that very thing: “What feeling do you want the audience to leave with?” The rest just flowed after that.
The first post-prod. session I had with the co-producer of this project, WhyKaiser, we decided to start with Mindful. Our friend Alex was there at the time and played this beautiful arpeggio. When I left that session, there was a whole new version. I went home and re-recorded all of the vocals, changing and cutting down many of the lyrics.
This new version was now lighter, encompassing the feelings of being lost but trusting the process. And that is what I want people to leave with after listening to this EP. It’s okay to feel lost…trust the process.
How does For Reasons I Can't Explain reflect where you're currently, as an artist and in life? What does it say about you?
I didn’t expect to relate to this project anymore, but I do. It says a lot about me that (like the title implies) I often find hard to explain. It reflects the limbo that I’m in right now, 2 years later, traveling through the unknown.
Except before, I’d say I was tiptoeing. I think rn I’m at a good walking/jogging pace, excited to sprint. It also shows how much I love to experiment and explore. It is a great introduction and teaser to my music on the way.
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