After taking a year-long hiatus from music for the higher purposes of rehabilitation and recovery, Detroit native and former Interscope signee Yoshi Flower comes through with a heart-wrenching cover of Lil Peep’s “Star Shopping” – a widely-beloved track that details the state of desolation that stems from addiction, yet seemingly reimagined here to inspire hope in light of turning the tide of his battle.
Addiction is an overwhelmingly heavy weight to bear for the ill and those around them, and it is apparent that Yoshi – who rightfully celebrated one year of sobriety on Jun.14 – sees reconciliation as a crucial rung on the ladder that leads back down to Earth. This is a notion that Peep justled with on the original, recounting how his relationship with Emma Harris became increasingly distant as his lifestyle and drug dependency fed off one another.
On a sonic level, Yoshi reinvents the piece with a newfound sense of clarity – he opts to ditch the drowned-out reverb and overarching bass that characterized so much of Peep’s catalog, instead adopting intimate acoustics and plucking at his guitar with a steadiness that makes you believe that he is well on his way to making peace with himself and his loved ones.
He makes the atmosphere of “Star Shopping” his own, creating serenity out of subject matter that was birthed in the midst of implosion and impending calamity. Digesting the all-too-familiar lyrics after Peep’s untimely passing in 2017 has become nearly impossible, but as Yoshi gently sings the segments that should hurt the most – “if you give me time, I could work on it” and “all of the stars have a reason … a reason to shine, and reason like mine” – the listener not only becomes enamored with his subtle artistry, but grateful that an immensely talented artist was able to overcome the demons that have killed so many in recent years.
Yoshi has explained how he relied on Peep’s beckoning for betterment and self-worth as a lifeline during his lowest lows, stating the following: “When I was lost in my addiction, I constantly listened to Peep. I related to how he spoke of using drugs as a way to feel okay; but he also showed the dangers and the comedowns.”
“Star Shopping” is Yoshi’s third lead single from his upcoming EP, “Ode” – a collection of covers that pay tribute to the songs and artists that guided him through darkness. All of the selections come from his already-existing Spotify playlist, aptly titled “Songs that saved my life.”
Being that Yoshi is a now-independent artist who has eclipsed the most insurmountable of mountains, you can’t help but root for him and his mission to spark healing through his craft. Rampant addiction and the glorification of substance abuse still plague the present music scene, and it is invaluable to have survivors with us to address the epidemic at one of its key sources. There’s too much self-destruction within the scope of niches that Peep once dominated, and it must be remembered that music has the capacity to save lives.
Written by Aidan Mega