*TRIGGER WARNING: This article discusses mental and physical abuse and death in wilderness treatment programs.*
With doing reviews and previews of new songs, you never know what exactly you’re getting yourself into, especially when they’re from an artist you’ve never heard of. This was my case when I was offered the chance to do a feature on “Wasted Youth”, the new single by Chloe Star, and being on a bit of a hiatus from concert photography, I jumped on the oppurtunity.
Hailing from southern California, going between Los Angeles and San Bernardino in her childhood, Star grew up in an unstable household, where she found an escape through poetry and journaling. This passion turned into music, eventually culminating in her releasing her debut single “Element” in January of 2023.
Even though on the grand scale she is still fairly new, having only five singles released, Star has garnered over 90,000 monthly listeners and almost 490,000 streams on Spotify, as well as gaining over 22,000 followers on Instagram.
Being Persian and Native American, openly queer, and boldly for female empowerment, Star is no stranger to adversity and identity. These aspects of her life heavily influence her music, going back to her poetry days. And that is no different for her latest single, “Wasted Youth”, releasing on all platforms on March 22.
Starting off with a catchy, poppy guitar riff, the song instantly draws you in. About 10 seconds in, the drums, bass, and vocals kick in.
Lyrically, the song is based on her three months in a wilderness treatment program when she was 16. These programs are highly controversial, as they subject “problematic” children and teens to intense physical strains in the wilderness with little resources and no communication to the outside world. Many have been known to physically and mentally abuse participants in an attempt to “straighten them out.” There have been many instances of participants dying both in the guidance of the program and from trying to escape.
The song tells her story and how the program essentially stripped away the youth she would have had and the trauma it caused. But it also acknowledges the impact it would later have on her life. “This song is about my experience going through that program, but it’s also a song that brings light to the fact that if I hadn’t been sent there, I wouldn’t be where I am now,” she says. “Without it, I wouldn’t be able to share my story and open the door for others to share their stories.”
The poppy, alt vibes of the instrumentals contrast against the bleak subject matter. The chorus goes in a more alt-rock direction, focusing more on distorted guitars and more power in Star’s voice. This pattern continues through the second verse and chorus, before going into a harmonic, distorted, Tom Morello esque solo.
The song finishes off with a heavier, almost breakdown chorus, leaving the listener wanting another play through the track. And coming in at only two and a half minutes, it’s easy to listen to it over and over again at once.
From such a young artist, the production value and quality of songwriting would suggest she is a seasoned alt-rock veteran. This is purely my opinion, but even though she already has a decent sized devoted fanbase, I believe that this song is going to be her breakout hit.
Chloe Star can be found on social media on Instagram and TikTok, and her music can be heard on Spotify, Soundcloud, and YouTube.
