Delving into the dark side of pop, Sir Jude releases her debut album ‘Revelations’

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Melbourne artist Sir Jude does not shy away from experimentation and penning some incredibly raw and intense lyricism alongside theatrical electronica and she does just that in her debut album ‘Revelations’, which allows us to enter such a prominent bookmark of her life. Her life’s work all boils down to this project.

With plenty of soundscapes and intricacy tickling the eardrums, Sir Jude gets down and dirty with the dark side of pop with a hint of drama as she opens up her debut with the title track that explodes into euphoric tones – a perfect opener to get us ready to pull back layers upon layers.

Exploring feminity and lust, ‘Freakshow’ descends us into a sense of empowerment. It’s pulsating, powerful, sultry and perfect for a club in Berlin. Having written that in the peak of isolation, faced with four walls and her pen to keep her company, this track oozes is the perfect pop song. Taking us away from all of the mayhem, ‘Secret Safe’ acts as a barrier and whilst it shows her much softer, vulnerable side, it still displays themes of empowerment. ‘Preach’ follows in tow with influences from The Prodigy and Maxim to create a cauldron of gritty pop whilst dipping her toe into the pool of alt-pop.

Although bouncy and a track that you’d find yourself strutting down the road to, ‘Madonna’ has a much deeper meaning in which we find Sir Jude again, penning her personal thoughts, it follows one of the album’s most notable themes, internalised misogyny.

“Throughout my life, I’ve struggled with internalised misogyny and to some extent, catholic guilt,” shares Sir Jude. “Revelations was a way for me to challenge those standards, and dissect how those parts of my life make me the person I am. With that, comes this fear or challenge to stay connected to who the person I was. I found myself on this journey through selfhood and acceptance, but I know that it is a constant and evolving journey; it’s a process that I’ll always circle back to mend.”

‘MAMMA’ and ‘A Message From Rosa’ are both irresistibly emotional and stunning, both pulling at the heartstrings as we’re tempted to let loose and cry alongside ‘Twenty Four Seven’ and ‘Fine’ which are her final cries and waves of goodbye.

Sir Jude’s ‘Relevations’ conveys so many messages for the women of the world, but also proves that pop music is well and truly back on its bullshit. She is the perfect pop star with the perfect debut album to kickstart the rest of her musical journey.

Words: Geo Blackman