Aaron Lee Tasjan’s Stellar Evolution is a record with songwriting beholden to nothing — no expectations, and certainly no genre. Just the pure sense of wonder and discovery that had made him fall in love with music as a kid in Orange County, devouring it all with no understanding or care for what was “cool.”
As he was writing, times became very dark for the queer community in the South. Bathroom bans and drag bans were enacted in Tennessee, while right-wing rhetoric around LGBT people became uglier and uglier. Tasjan knew this album needed to reflect the vibrant community that has become home to him.
From synth thrill rides like “Alien Space Queen” and “Horror Of It All,” to the woozy “The Drugs Did Me,” and the balladic “Dylan Shades,” these songs track Tasjan’s sonic shifts, and share personal moments of overcoming challenges and embracing change; for the world, they are universal in appeal and inclusive in intention. Stellar Evolution celebrates love, claims space and shines bright.