New York avant-electro outfit Energy Whores return with Pretty Sparkly Things, a track that shimmers on the surface but cuts sharp underneath. Driven by pulsing synths, angular beats, and Carrie Schoenfeld’s hypnotic vocal delivery, it feels like a glittering club anthem—until the lyrics land with a jolt. What first sounds like a dance track quickly reveals itself as biting satire, tearing into luxury culture, influencer fakery, and the crushing inequality beneath the sparkle.
Carrie Schoenfeld, the band’s creative core, describes the single as both satire and social critique. “This song is about how society dangles unattainable dreams in front of us while so many people are struggling just to survive,” she explains. That tension defines Pretty Sparkly Things—it’s catchy enough to move your body, but sharp enough to make you stop and think.
Lyrically, the song spares no one. From mocking “influencers with their photo filters” to skewering “spoiled girls clutching their pearls”, Energy Whores hold up a cracked mirror to a culture obsessed with wealth and status. One of the track’s most cutting lines points straight at the absurdity of celebrity privilege: “Can’t pay your bills, can’t afford your pills… they’re only for the kings of pop, drinking backstage while someone’s sucking their cock.” Raw, fearless, and unfiltered, the lyrics strip away the gloss and expose the cruelty that lurks behind billionaire excess and consumer worship.
Musically, the song blends EDM rhythms, electro-pop textures, and the jagged edge of experimental art rock. The result is hypnotic yet unsettling, forcing listeners to dance in the same moment they’re digesting its critique. This duality—pleasure and discomfort, sparkle and rot—is at the heart of what makes Pretty Sparkly Things so effective.
Formed in a DIY basement studio in New York City, Energy Whores is led by Schoenfeld, a classically trained pianist, indie filmmaker, and Off-Broadway producer, alongside guitarist Attilio Valenti. Together, they’ve carved out a style Schoenfeld calls “avant electro”—a collision of electronic beats, art rock, protest folk, and unapologetic storytelling. Their songs don’t shy away from difficult subjects: authoritarianism, social injustice, and the greed that fuels it all. As Schoenfeld boldly puts it, “I don’t write love songs. I write warning signs.”
Pretty Sparkly Things will appear on the band’s upcoming album Arsenal of Democracy (due October 2025), a politically charged collection that promises more of the same fearless juxtaposition: infectious melodies paired with brutally honest commentary. Critics have already described Energy Whores’ music as “Patti Smith meets Talking Heads, wired through EDM and rage”—a description that fits this track perfectly.
What sets Energy Whores apart is not just their willingness to speak truth, but the way they weave that into immersive soundscapes. Their music functions both as dance-floor fuel and political protest, making the listener complicit in the act of questioning the system even as they move to the beat.
With Pretty Sparkly Things, Energy Whores remind us that glamour is often a distraction, a weapon used to keep people dazzled while exploitation thrives in the shadows. It’s a track that sparkles, yes, but the real shine comes from its refusal to stay silent.
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