Always one to combine her musical exploits with academic pursuits, Debby Friday named her latest album after the star Vega after her research took a deep astrological dive. Thought by the ancient Babylonians – who gave it the epithet in the album’s title—to be associated with artistry and creative gifts, they also believed that those who inherited its powers needed to be humble and thankful for them, seeing their artistry as a service to give unto others.

After a year full of big successes and even bigger burnouts, realigning her mindset in this way set Friday back on the path of creation. As the old adage goes, when you’re doing what you enjoy, it doesn’t feel like work—so the genre-bending experimentalist became even more untethered than usual to anything you can put a label on, calling it her “freedom album.” It veers wildly from thumping club anthems with titles like “In the Club” and “All I Wanna Do Is Party” to chanted cheerleader-style hooks, introspective R&B, Afrobeats, and sharp-edged hip-hop. You’ll find heady historical references and symbolism from ancient Greek myths alongside hyperpop party starters. For Friday, it’s all part of the same constellation.

– Read our interview with Debby Friday –