The repetition of the name of a long-deceased American writer and poet has lived inside the speculative echo chamber of Twitter for weeks. Now the walls have been pushed back as the world asks: Who The Hell Is Edgar?

The track’s spoken word intro gives a reasonable first impression of what we’re dealing with for the rest of the track. Teya & Salena take it in turns on the song’s verses to converse about being possessed by Edgar Allan Poe. 

Poe’s bewitching comeback allows Teya & Salena to write a track that will make the pair a lot of money, unlike the vast majority of artists who upload their music to streaming platforms. “’Cause this song is feeling special, and is gonna make me rich,” they sing. Poe’s help “writing” the track makes Teya & Salena call their record label, expecting to become stars. 

Alexander Rybak’s 2018 entry for Norway, That’s How You Right A Song, was the closest song to being meta before Who The Hell Is Edgar? was released. Teya & Salena take self-referential music at the contest to a different dimension. The song’s self-awareness and its honest take on the shoddy state of music streaming are its most valuable attributes. Never did I think chanting the price of a Spotify stream would generate such an iconic and memorable hook. 

The music and composition isn’t overlooked in the quest for an intelligent, humorous rethink of streaming. The track’s driving pace of 146BPM is a guiding light for the other elements that are bound together. The guitar lick in the verses are simple and dutiful, the operatic breathers give the track a moment to reset before hurtling off in new directions, and the synthesised accompaniments swirl contemplatively. 

Who The Hell Is Edgar? Is way more than a track with an unconventional title. Teya & Salena perform a message of defiance and frustration against music monopoly excellently.