Henry J. Star is building something larger than himself. When I first stumbled upon his content on TikTok, the influences he wears on his sleeve were immediately apparent. His interests are scattered: “folk music, adventure games, ambient, botanica, southern literature, trap, electronic, anime, and shoegaze” (Acrophase Records), melding into a distinctive audio-visual style. For a small artist, he’s rolling out his music in a huge way, underscored by a knack for massive, audience-ready melodies. 

His recent release, “Ember”, builds on the world introduced in his debut single “Greenway”. Musically, it extends in many directions: a wistful synth topline, string atmosphere, and poppy drums set the tone, making way for a distortedly impactful hook — what Henry does best. Despite the electronic production (glitched pianos in the bridge, chopped drum break in the outro), the song feels rooted in Nashville, with hints of steel guitar and plucky folk strings nodding to his time touring with indie-rocker and friend Briston Maroney. 

Lyrically, it deals with heavy emotions, described on Instagram: “in the face of so many global crises, it’s tempting to feel small + solipsistic. this song is ultimately about deciding not to do that.” In the first verse, he’s almost on the verge of tears (“ask how I’ve been / it makes me misty eyed, all cool i’m just having a weird night”), shifting to showcase his vocal range in the belted chorus. 

These small changes show that Henry J. Star is not missing a detail in the rollout for his debut album, “the soft apocalypse”, out October 17. If you stumble upon his world, be prepared to get stuck there.