The best artists are the ones who can evoke emotions from their listener’s solely through the use of their storytelling.

It is artists who can craft beautifully written poems turned into lyrics that will make you cry about a long lost love- despite the fact your love is neither long gone or lost- who are worthy of the highest praise. The ones who will have you screaming with joy over an experience you’ve never known, and crying along to a breakup you have yet to go through. The ones that encapsulate the human experience so perfectly that you simply cannot turn their music off because you are already too enveloped in their tales.

At their core, the most talented musicians are storytellers, and alternative pop artist Genevieve Stokes is simply one of the best we have been introduced to this year.

At only 19-years-old, Stokes has a sense of lyrical awareness and wisdom about her that surpasses her peers. Writing music about relatable, real life situations inspired by her experiences growing up in Portland, Maine, all of her releases feel down to earth in a way that easily connects with listeners beneath a surface level of enjoyment. Her latest single “Surface Tension,” being a perfect example.

With a vocal track that is reminiscent of classic indie darling softness with a slight alternative kick, “Surface Tension” is a dream-like composition that tackles the dismemberment of an unhealthy relationship or cycle.

Documenting Stokes’ realization that her former partner’s idea of her did not match who she truly was or wanted to be, the single examines the process of moving on and reclaiming your own solo identity.

“[‘Surface Tension’] is about a really unhealthy relationship I had,” the singer shares. “I looked back and realized I was so unhappy. I felt like I wasn’t living up to the expectations he had of me in his head. It was a therapeutic song for me to make because I saw what I was putting up with—and I finally let go. It feels triumphant now as it comes from a higher view of myself.”

The latest single to be release by the singer, “Surface Tension” also gives listeners a view into Stokes’ upcoming EP, set to be released later this year.

You can stream “Surface Tension,” out now, and be sure to follow Genevieve Stokes on social media for updates on all things new music and her upcoming EP.

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