Manhattan native, singer-songwriter, and pop/r&b recording artist Hunter Blair Ambrose returns with her highly-anticipated 17-track debut album, 'Scorpio Season.'
Known as one of the most captivating new voices in the underground pop music scene, Hunter Blair Ambrose never fails to wow an audience. We experienced that first hand through her velvety melisma and powerful vocals on the debut EP, 'Scorpio Rising.' Now, we have the honor of featuring Ambrose's debut 17-track album, 'Scorpio Season.'
Beginning our venture into the jam-packed album, we're met with the introductory track, "Baby Goodbye," which opens the project with hazy pop sonics that set the mysterious and intense tone. As a pulsating 80s synth begins to pound through our speakers, Hunter Blair Ambrose begins to passionately sing of a relationship's demise and let someone go who was once close to her heart. We've probably said this before, but Ambrose has a certain vocal tonality and confidence as Ms. Lady Gaga, and it's utterly captivating.
Onto another mysterious and hazy intro with track number two, "Right Now," Hunter Blair Ambrose makes her passionate and lustful vocal appearance while setting the scene with the utmost lustful and desirous lyricism. As the pop drums and synths begin to tap through our speakers' low end, we jump into the thrilling hook where a modern club-like electro-pop beat drops and gets us in the groove. As Hunter Blair Ambrose makes her way around the hook, she's followed by a contemporary and electronic arrangement that keeps the song's passion ignited.
Onto a highly anticipated track, "Skin Deep (feat. Ye Ali)" was one we were definitely excited to hear. This time around, Hunter Blair Ambrose jumps into more of a sensual and gripping r&b vibe while the song opens with a bubbly synth arrangement alongside snappy hip-hop drums. Listening to Hunter Blair Ambrose's smooth vocals, she continues to expand on wondering if someone's truly down for her while expressing her devotion for them. Around the second verse, Ye Ali slowly drifts in with the utmost poise while adding another lustful and sultry layer to this sweet tune.
Upping the energy with track number four, "Divison," this song opens with an introspective feel through tender piano melodies and quick drum breaks. As Hunter Blair Ambrose makes her way in, she starts to tug on our heartstrings with vulnerable lyrics that explain her inner confusion and turmoil. We adore the tapping drum breaks in this song; they may or may not represent the increasing heart rate when riddled with anxiety. Ambrose continues to plead for one more night with someone special, and the haunting sonics keep the emotion at a high.
Funny enough, the next single is entitled "Anxious," which begins with a melancholy and atmospheric r&b soundscape through haunting synth melodies and the slowest of drum breaks. Hunter Blair Ambrose's achingly beautiful and honest lyrics yearn for someone's attention and love while expressing her desire to be by their side. This song is wildly vulnerable, and it truly helps us get to know the depth of Ambrose's emotional creativity. She has such a way with words and sets delicate lyrical scenes that suck the air right out of the room.
The moment we've all been waiting for, hitting play on the album's title track, "Scorpio Season," the song softly begins with a dreamy electronic soundscape shimmering with the sweetest sonics. As Hunter Blair Ambrose begins to sing of a troubled relationship and wants to navigate her way through, she encourages her partner to open their mind while letting them know it's her season to thrive. There's no getting past this sultry and driven Scorpio, and Ambrose makes that incredibly clear throughout the entire album thus far.
Upping the groove with track number seven, "Not Enough," the song opens with psychedelic and distorted guitar arrangement that later drops into a groovy and modern r&b vibe. Hunter Blair Ambrose continues to declare her love and devotion for someone while being sick of being caught up on them; she can never seem to get enough of their every way. This song is the perfect modern r&b ballad; Hunter Blair Ambrose expresses not only her vulnerable emotions but her intimate and sensual ones too. We must mention Ambrose's heavenly vocal harmonies that truly feed the soul.
Soothing the vibe with the eighth track, "Too Much," this song definitely offers more of an upbeat pop atmosphere through the upbeat electro-pop drums and the gleaming synths that pour through our speakers. We adore the honesty of this song; Hunter Blair Ambrose reminds us of the difficulties of overthinking situations and being trapped in her mind with her racing thoughts. The song is extremely relatable, and the engaging pop sonics perfectly enhance the troubling emotions of Hunter Blair Ambrose's delicate lyrical content.
Onto a familiar tune and also the album's halfway point, "Alone Together," we've had the pleasure of featuring this song a few months back. This time around, experiencing it with the entire 'Scorpio Season' album brings a whole other level of meaning. We've heard Ambrose sing of longing for someone's love, pure seduction, and anxious thoughts, and this song seems to encapsulate all of those themes. It's an incredibly groovy and uplifting song that tugs on our heartstrings with Hunter Blair Ambrose's relatable and honest lyricism.
Moving onto the album's second half, we're met with the lushness and ambiance of the tenth track, "Backwards," which kicks off with the deepest r&b production that screams artists like The Weeknd and Summer Walker. Hunter Blair Ambrose takes our breath away as her airy melisma and powerful chest voice while she continues to serenade us with lyrics about falling backward on her life path and feeling stuck in an emotional place. Hunter Blair Ambrose jumps into a quick hip-hop-like flow on the bridge to up the song's energy while taking us around the hook one last time.
Drifting into track number eleven, "Self Control," this song takes on more of a nostalgic r&b feel through the hazy synth arrangements, organic piano melodies, and snappy drum breaks. Hunter Blair Ambrose quickly jumps in and commands our attention while expressing her devotion for someone and longing for them to be by her side. She sings of the lack of self-control she faces when it comes to someone special, and we're truly impressed with the relatable and passionate themes Hunter Blair Ambrose has brought to the table so far.
Increasing the intensity and emotion with track number twelve, "26(teen)," the song opens with a haunting piano melody and quick hip-hop drums alongside Hunter Blair Ambrose's soothing and powerful vocal stylings. This song feels like a vulnerable piece about realization, coming to terms with someone's wrong idea of her, and not wanting to waste any more time as her peaking adulthood is on the rise. We truly appreciate Hunter Blair Ambrose's honest lyrics in this piece; it's like a raw page of her diary that helps us get to know her that much more.
Track number thirteen takes us to faraway places. "Psycho Summer" kicks into gear with a peaceful synth melody that quickly drops into a delicate drum arrangement and Hunter Blair Ambrose's patient lyrics. As she continues waiting on someone, thoughts of losing them continue to overpower her mind while opening up about her lonesome summer. Hunter Blair Ambrose's vocals in this piece are otherwordly; she takes us by surprise with her velvety melisma that's as enchanting as a fatal mermaid song calling us from the depths of the ocean.
Firing up our speakers with the fourteenth track, "Gone," this song powerfully opens with a groaning bass-like synth that melts through our speakers with a haunting, heated, and mysterious vibe. Hunter Blair Ambrose begins to vocalize her deepest emotions regarding the love she holds for someone who did her dirty while making her way to the cathartic hook. As the sonics lighten with emotion, Hunter Blair Ambrose jumps into her falsetto while coming to terms that the love she once cherished won't be returning any time soon. This song feels like a release of pent-up emotions, especially with the overall dark and haunting approach.
With Scorpio season comes the month of "November," and Hunter Blair Ambrose perfectly sums up the chilled fall month in this piece. The song opens with a downtempo electro-pop sonic arrangement that paves the way for Ambrose's honest and emotional vocals. Listening to her soothing melodies, Ambrose dives into her thoughts once again and reminds someone that come November, the only thing on their mind will be Ms. Hunter Blair Ambrose. Although this track is incredibly emotional, there's a sense of empowerment that comes with Ambrose's confident performance.
Slowing it down with track number fifteen, "Goodbye (4 Now)," this song begins with a distant and chime-like keyboard melody that sets the song's melancholy and chilling tone. As the downtempo r&b drums begin to tap through the song, Hunter Blair Ambrose makes her passionate vocal appearance while thanking someone for the love they gave and wishing them well on their journey. This song is another page torn out of Ambrose's diary; it perfectly encapsulates those turbulent and violent emotions that overtake our minds when love gets the best of us.
Reaching the final and outro track of the album, "I Get Lonely," Hunter Blair Ambrose decided to end the album with more of a lively and upbeat sonic approach while expressing her emotions of loneliness and desire. We adore this song's hook; it's wildly catchy and perfectly showcases Hunter Blair Ambrose's rhythmic vocal abilities that ride the beat with authority, even when she's singing such a delicate message. We truly appreciate this honest and dreamy outro track; it closes the entire album on a note of hope, reflection, and pure Scorpio passion.
Experience 'Scorpio Season' the way it was intended, with Hunter Blair Ambrose's debut 17-track album, now available on all digital streaming platforms.
Congratulations on releasing your highly-anticipated 17-track debut album, 'Scorpio Season.' When did you begin creating songs for this album? How long was it in the making?
It was quite a journey to bring this album to life. When I started writing the music that ended up being part of this album, I had no intention of creating an album at all. It all began when I wrote the first single I ever released, "Right Now" way back in January 2017- almost 5 years ago. I had just dropped out of college where I was pursuing a degree in music and one night, the song just randomly hit me. As time went on, the Scorpio Season concept began to develop, and I just kept writing more and more songs over the years. I preceded the album with an EP, called "Scorpio Rising" which I worked on from 2018-2020, and then immediately started writing the remaining bulk of "Scorpio Season" in the fall of 2020.
It's apparent that your Scorpio placements play a prominent role in your life. What inspired you to create both an EP and your debut album, 'Scorpio Season,' revolving around the passionate and driven sign?
I think it is incorrectly assumed that the reason both the EP and the album bear the name Scorpio and that the sign has been a huge theme of the music is because it's my zodiac sign. But I'm actually a Taurus. The reason Scorpio and the traits of a Scorpio play such an important role is that both projects were directly inspired by a failed relationship of mine and the story of how it fell apart. We met on my former love interest's birthday, which is in mid-November, making him a Scorpio. The title is a reference to the inception of the relationship that went on to have an enormous impact on my life and also the events that unfolded through that fall that we began our story together.
Out of all the 17 tracks on 'Scorpio Season,' is there a song that means the most to you? Which song was the hardest to create in terms of emotion?
Every song is important to the overall story I was telling on this album. "Scorpio Season" is certainly a concept album that tells the story of that relationship from its exciting ending to its bitter end. But, there are certain songs that are more emotionally charged than others. Some of the more emotionally poignant tracks would include Division, Goodbye (4 Now), Gone, November, and Alone Together. In terms of the songs that were the most emotionally challenging to record and perform, my cover of I Get Lonely was particularly gut-wrenching, even though I didn't write it. But Goodbye (4 Now) and Alone Together particularly stand out to me as having the most heartbreaking lyrics.
Did you work with any producers or engineers when formulating the 'Scorpio Season' album? Who helped navigate the album's sonics and production?
This album would not have happened and would not have come together in the way that it did without my entire personnel. My producers, Jason Strong and Jannek Zechner, have both been instrumental to my growth as a musician, and an artist throughout this process. There is no one else I would've rather made this album with and they both played a key role in both Scorpio Rising and Scorpio Season. Jason served as the executive producer of nearly every track across both projects, as well as a co-writer of a few tracks such as November, Self Control, 26 (teen), Goodbye (4 Now), etc. Jannek Zechner, also produced all of my vocals and engineered most of both projects. Randy Merrill, who is one of the best mastering engineers in the world (engineered "Chromatica" by Lady Gaga, "Positions, Thank U Next" by Ariana Grande, "Folklore" by Taylor Swift" to name a few.) served as the mastering engineer for every song on "Scorpio Season" I owe so much to every single member of my personnel for making the sonics and atmosphere of this album come to life. They are all incredible talents.
What did you want to make the listener feel and experience with 'Scorpio Season'? What impact did you want the album to make on your audience?
I wanted to allow the listener to feel like they are immediately taken into the sonic universe of a late-night, fall-time, dark, lust-filled romance that I very much used as the blueprint of this album. By adjusting the album's sequencing just right, I wanted the listener to feel like they are fully experiencing the beginning, middle, and end of the relationship that I wrote this music about, and that they can recognize and relate to the emotions that one goes through in every phase of the classic tale of a romance that starts out exhilarating but eventually falls apart and takes a dark turn. I hope that it is a poignant and stark listening experience that mirrors and mimics some of the key traits of the sign of Scorpio itself: passion, mystery, intensity, transformation, and rebirth.