For the last few years, Stokes has been on a steady rise as one of alternative-pop's buzziest acts. The 23-year-old cut her teeth on SoundCloud while in high school, with her independently released songs racking up 7 million streams as well as buzz from Complex and Earmilk. She signed with Atlantic and has since released two EPs: 2021's Swimming Lessons and 2023's Catching Rabbits. She was hailed as "indie pop's dark academia icon" in Ones to Watch and has been covered in Rolling Stone and Paper Magazine. Now, Stokes is set to release her debut album With a Lightning Strike. Continuing with the fairy tale allusions and ethereal confessions of Catching Rabbits, Stokes' latest is a darker take on the search for childhood whimsy than her previous releases.