Following the release of her poignant single ‘Nude’ with its tongue-in-cheek, Rococo-inspired visuals and the spell-binding synth-pop number ‘Lipstick’, the visionary singer-songwriter Alfreda continues to expand her stylistic horizons with the powerful new song ‘Guest Room’. Rooted in her signature chic-pop style, this explosive single frames the bitter taste of rejection through Alfreda’s witty world perspective and a touch of old school Hollywood glamour. The London-born, New York-raised creative continues to build a world where fantasy and reality come together in crisp focus.
‘Guest Room’ opens with luxurious piano keys and Alfreda’s entrancing voice sweeps in with a rose-tinted vision of young love. However, this fanciful reverie is quickly swept away with the harrowing realisation that your lover has assigned you the guest room (how could they?!). The push-and-pull tension of the bluesy undertones and avant-garde pop production emphasises that childlike desire for love and acceptance; a theme that runs throughout this recent series of songs.
Reflecting upon a moment when even the smallest suggestion of neglect or rejection had sent Alfreda’s emotions spiraling out of control, she shares the real-life inspiration behind ‘Guest Room’:
“I remembered the time I was spending the weekend with my first boyfriend’s family. It would be the first time I’d spent a night with him, so I was expecting to be sharing a bed and using the time to get closer. But upon arrival, I was put in a separate room, and I took great offence. The rejection I felt was certainly disproportionate for the situation, but it taps into a deep place of neglect and a feeling of abandonment. I had a lot of emotions and wasn’t sure how to control them.”