Why the 2 F’s (Fedora and Flop) must be reclaimed to save the music industry. (and how Eli does it)

The fedora. An item of clothing so fierce that the music industry had to bury it away, along with the 2008 release of Vanessa Hudgens ’ Sneakernight. But a few days ago, I heard a whisper from the corner of my room. Then I saw a pink glow. Then I picked up my phone, and there it was. A neon fuchsia fedora, and its soundtrack was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. Stage Girl (Not A Dream Anymore) is the newest release from Eli, and one song in particular has been going viral on social media. “Fuck The DJ” is the soundtrack to this beautiful hat choice, and I couldn't be happier. I can safely say I have not had this much fun listening to a piece of music since I heard Blaine Anderson's cover of “I’m Not Going To Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance” on Glee for the first time. The music of Eli makes me feel like I am drinking a Mai Tai from my Hannah Montana sippy cup whilst doing a backflip in a tampon commercial. The production is so nostalgic but clean, and her falsetto has the best amount of breathiness, reminiscent of pop girl icons Kesha and Jojo.

And when I started looking deeper into Eli and her work, I found her Stage Girl album release event sign-up. It said a few things that stuck with me, like “It's time to embrace the flop, stand up straight with your polka dotted breast plate, and walk through the khia asylum.” and  “perhaps is the real artistry found buried deep within the flop?” After I stopped giggling at the concept of polka-dot-embossed breastplate armour, I looked deep within myself and was struck with what can only be described as a spiritual awakening.

Eli was right. The concept of the “flop” has been chipping away at the music industry. Artists such as Meghan Trainor and Lizzo, who have recently dropped music, have had such bad receptions to their releases because they've found themselves so tangled up in the idea of flopping that they just stopped reinventing themselves. Most of the comments on their social media announcements are constant streams of people yelling at them, saying “reheating Ariana’s nachos” or “super excited to hear this at Forever 21 soon!”. Because insecurity seeps through the pores of their music. Now, do not get me wrong, insecurity when used right can make some of the most heart-wrenching and stunning tracks ever made. But that is when you are honest about it. Not when you are spitting bars like “a little bit of iceberg on your cruise”. Girls step up and don’t just embrace the flop, grab it by the balls and swing it above your head like Gerti Giggle’s helicopter ponytails in Spy Kids 2: The Island Of Lost Dreams.

But heavy is the head that wears the fedora. You see, with such authenticity comes the burden of being the blueprint. So let's hope Eli keeps up her outspoken and honest art. 

Written by Ellie Wigham