madamestarlet’s, Opus was released on September 20th, 2026, but I have had the pleasure of consuming this album since our artist review in July. I analyze the starlet-verse and all it has to offer an audience. This album is madame’s ‘Magnum Opus’ of sorts, her current life’s work and what she has to show thus far, and boy does she have a lot to show! We travel through Opus with delicacy and care.

This album is centered around the concept of having a video to accompany each song, totaling to 16 videos from starlet. Filmed and produced by Israel Melendez, the pair prove what can be done with dedication and passion. Each video is full of life and different from the other, with special guest stars, intricate settings and layered imagery throughout. Although we analyze the sound of the album in this article, it cannot go unnoted that Melendez and Madame have been creating and altering a visual world alongside the album. Subscribe to madamestarlet’s YouTube here.

Israel Melendez and madame. Photos courtesy of madamestarlet.

The production of the album was done by none other than Saint Lewis, a close collaborate of madame’s who understands her sound and production standards very well. Not only is he accurate, he is precise with her vision when it comes to translating her vocals and blending them with the production, and thereafter making it consistent throughout the entire body of work. With 15 of 16 songs being produced by Saint Lewis, he leaves his mark on the project in a myriad of ways. The two genre blend and genre blend seamlessly throughout the album as mentioned numerous times throughout my review.

Israel Melendez, madame and Saint Lewis. Photos courtesy of madamestarlet.

Read an in-depth analysis of the album song by song below. Max, an editor here at The Silver Cherry, makes additional comments in italics.

“Cleopatra” sets the stage and decorates the madamestarlet universe. As she composes a vocal dance of sorts, her delicate voice atop dense and heavy beats, she creates a contrast that ignites an immediate respect for her craft. As a Black woman, blue magic holds a special place in my heart. It softens our hair but also represents the soft hearts and demeanor of Black women, no matter what. Madame is for us, by us.

“Cleopatra” invites you to fall in hopeless love with this album. madame greets you with Dune-like sirens, asking your name, then points you right to your seat.

“CRASH!” takes us to a new place. Pop-py but in a dark way. The resonance and echo of her voice along with the minor sound of the chords creates a tone that is textured and bouncy. Although she has many long melodic moments, her ad libs give us a feeling that invigorates and excites right at the beginning of the work. Here, I feel like I’m in a cave, still exploring her universe, but with trepidation teetering on caution. Almost a fear. “CRASH!” sets the stage.

“No More” greets us with a bed made of silk. It cocoons and greets the listeners ear, priming them for the rest of the album. Although it has a heavy sound, madame’s classically airy yet striking voice, lines the track. This introduces us to her melodic patterns and follows up with sultry and seductive lyrics that not only analyze her romantic situation, but also uplifts her and demands such respect. She has no time to waste.

madame has no intention of suffering fools. Her lyrics reflect an assuredness in her ethos, mirroring exactly the polish and confidence this album exudes. Your choices are clear: lay in this silk bed of sound, or don’t. Her stardom has no problem ticking along without you.

“Father’s Daughter” is bouncy in a way that sets it apart. It’s truly funky! The way everything bounces and resonates creates a fullness that overtakes the ear. It requires you to listen—not only to the song, but to her as she tells you how she would like to be treated. She will not reason, she will not falter. She will have her way. The tempo change is so fun! Too fun! I had to get up and do my lil dance when I heard that ending. “All my life I had my way. Why change that today?” Y’all have no clue how impactful madame is on me. I literally cut this guy off right after listening because I realized there are women expecting more, and I should too! Thanks madame.

I breathe easier when this track plays. This is the kind of song you wish your grandmother heard growing up. My whole life I’ve been giving, (and mostly heeding) the advice madame offers: “I move on my own time… why change that today?” I’m talking to You. Break up with that man!

“secrecy (interlude)” takes us into her lair. It completely and officially sets the stage for the rest of the album. It feels like a path to a new and unknown place in the starlet-verse. Though only an interlude, it’s short and sweet nature says so much more than the timestamp implies. It continues to let you into starlet’s soft heart and all the parts she is slowly peeling and revealing throughout this album. This song feels like liminal space, between two worlds.

And, we travel by swan boat. madame’s insistence on the intimate is effortless. It’s what you beg of yourself when you sit at your keyboard. The eyes, the lips, it's a portrait of a secret shared. You’ve been let in, deeper, now keep your eyes open.

“Innocent” uses a rock understanding to produce and reproduce a familiar sound. This whole album feels like it’s stuck in a place in time. Maybe 2002, maybe 2006. Somewhere in between. Like a candied scorpion, madame is something tempting inside of something sweet, and we get to watch, then consume. Innocent is anything but. The sexy lyrics and tempting rhythmic sound overtake & fill every space with desire. A foxy lady indeed.

“feline” feels reminiscent of secrecy as it continues to set tone and place. This track extends the mood of the album by echoing the themes presented prior. The bridge here begins to speed up, further proving the production value of the entire work. This is a peak when it comes to the production. It stands out, highlighting the quality that Saint Lewis is able to produce and reproduce throughout. It blends directly into “UNDER YOUR SKIN”, the ending silhouette of “feline,” intercedes perfectly.

“UNDER YOUR SKIN” sounds dynamic & weird in all the best ways possible. If you’re an Aquarius, I bet you’ll love this track. It blends a steady and consistent beat with these wavy and cosmic sounds that almost act as adlibs to madame’s voice. They increase in pitch and speed, which adds to the intensity of being under someone’s skin. Of course you will want to let madame in, because she continues to show you who she is and presents herself as honestly and candidly as possible as a “firestarter.”

“Make Me Say” is strummy… as in it shows us the versatility of her guitar in this context. This song is loaded with production. The theme of creating a sultry space shines through in a similar way to other parts of the album. Although this song has a similar sound to many of the songs, it’s purpose seems to be different, due to the fact that it centers the production and uses her voice as an accompaniment.

This concept makes me feel like I’m being followed by the song. It’s filled with movement, action, like each step I take has no hope of outrunning the haunting lyrics and persistent activity of the collaboration.

“Oh No!” reminds me of the feeling you begin to get when you have a crush. Not when you fall in love, but when you just start to feel it. When you are able to imagine all the moments with your crush. All the impactful things that could happen, though they probably won’t… This song feels like potential, unfulfilled, of course. We all need to imagine what could be in order to move within the now. The production value is strikingly similar to “Love Takeover” which is an enjoyable and familiar note.

“Somerhalder”… This one! When she released this song and video, I was eerily struck with remembrance and pain. Seeing the lust & the want & the need! The need of it all. It shows through with the track, what has to be done. When you still want someone no matter what, because nobody does it like them. No one other than them. Don’t I know it! Longing curates the essence of this piece. I love to long and I love to love madame, so this song means something special to me and resonates differently. I’m a sucker for going back. What more can I say?!

“baseball bat” continues to remind us of the themes of protection and defense present throughout the entire album. A warning to others that you may want to be careful with the hearts of those you love. You never know what they have inside. You can’t control what someone does after you hurt them, and starlet reminds us of that fact. Watch out, she’s protective and will do whatever it takes to protect her younger self. Loving your inner angel, the little you and protecting that version of yourself because you need to–you deserve it! Giving yourself exactly that, just because.

This song ignites every room it touches. Everyone lucky enough to experience it knows. starlet speaks so simply to our hearts here. It feels like she’d lend us a bat at any time. Get your own bullets though.

“Tug of War” has a downbeat that reminds me of some of the better parts of modern country music. I know—crazy to say, but madame seamlessly blends, breaks and bends genre constantly! This whole album continues to reiterate that madame will have it all. Every genre, every sound, madame will have it her way. There is no back and forth or uncertainty. That is a facade. It’s her way, or the highway. She is needy, but on her own terms, as always! You get it!

I think the downbeat point is perfect. The introduction is a contrast to what you could describe as a graceful, stalking tip-toe through much of OPUS. “Tug of War” starts with planted feet and a counter right hook. The guitar continues to grind your teeth. We’re in no danger, just awe.

“glazed over” is one of my favorite songs to hear live because of how delicate she has to be to get that milky feeling across. I feel like this song is a bridge for the entire album. It gets you there. Seemingly, some of her songs act as portals to help you move from one feeling to the next, all while staying in the starlet-verse. If the starlet-verse were a world, this song would be an oasis. A piece that feels like a slow break, getting you through at the beginning and reminding you of what you know and need towards the end.

madame’s range continues to entice your listening ears. Mastery is indicated by effortlessness, and the transition from “Tug of War” to “glazed over” establishes, if you weren’t already listening, that this is madamestarlet’s world, her dimension, her inevitability.

“Opus” is fun! It is a good exclamation mark on the whole album. It seems to be like a perfect ending credit following our consumption of the fruits of madame’s labor. Although striking and with a crystal clear vogue-y quality, it reminds of the 80s and a time in which producers first began discovering sounds that put you out of body in a club scene. “Opus” was made to move your body around. It tells you the purpose of the entire project, this is her “Opus,” this is her! She wants to move you in all the ways familiar to her. Which leads us right into our final song. My summertime favorite, personally.

“LoveTakeover” feels like an early 2000s coming-of-age movie. Everything suddenly starts to go right. It seems to remind me of Lizzy McGuire, Cheetah Girls, and Hannah Montana. The more carefree and fun parts of girlhood and subsequently, womanhood. The first time I heard this song, I was seeing madame in concert, learning the lyrics as she was sharing. I then heard it at every concert of hers this summer, and it hits just as sweetly as the first time. Not only acknowledging that you have value, but that the one you love holds value, too! Just because you love them. The delicate crystalline sounds that accompany the bridge feel like you’re walking on a chandelier. I’m glad I’ve been able to enjoy this song for the longest.

This song is so safe. Not like a throwaway, but like closing the front door after your loved ones have entered. In this review we’ve spoken often of madamestarlet’s “demands,” and “expectations”. If you’ve ever had the privilege of hearing her perform this track, you understand that this is not figurative language. You will sing the chorus with her, and every soul in the room. She says, “Baby you’re so fine…” and you say, “So am I!”

I do recommend consuming the album all at one time if you can. Take the time out of your day and give starlet the attention she deserves & demands. Not only has she worked tirelessly on this album for an extensive amount of time, she has been dedicating herself to the craft for even longer.

This brings me to my closing point. The madamestarlet experience cannot be properly illustrated on a page. You leave this album like you would leave any of her concerts: insistent on your own worth, after singing about what a baddie you are. In our modern world, the word “Opus” is often assumed in grandeur, as if it can never be recreated or eclipsed. I invite you to consider a more classical definition. Simply a piece of work. I believe Opus, by madamestarlet, is an indication of what’s to come. It’s a chapter, a glimpse of the future, from the peoples’ warrior princess.

madame not only become an artist I look up to, but a friend I can reference in real life and throughout her musical craft. Her songs help me just as much as her being, which aids me in knowing that the two are intertwined. Get to know her mind and heart through Opus.

This is madamestarlet’s first album, but definitely not the last you will be hearing from her. I feel lucky that we have been able to meet so early into her blossoming destiny as a superstar. If you love music, you’ll love madame. If you love yourself, you’ll love Opus. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Article by Imani Warren

Edited by Max Mika

Opus by madamestarlet | Album Review

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