By Jessica Thrasher, Contributor

[Sumerian Records; 2023]

Rating: 7/10

Key tracks: “Motorbike”, “Zig”, “The Attic”

Poppy has had a colorful musical career, working under/alongside several different managers and producers. She is still forming a fleshed-out musical identity, with her previous work all sounding dissimilar and crossing into other genres. Zig is another example of this, as it bears little resemblance to any of her other works. I anticipated a metal or rock-based album, which was shortsighted considering Poppy’s disregard for genre. Poppy debuted as a pop-indie princess but was the first-ever female solo artist to be Grammy nominated for “Best Metal Performance” in 2020.

Zig is a glossy, ultra-produced exploration of electronica and hyper-pop. It’s a diesel-fueled power piece, borrowing from dark techno, industrial rock, and even German EDM. It is danceable at times during “Knockoff” and “Motorbike”, with breaks for lyrically more heartfelt songs like “The Attic”, “Linger”, and “Prove It” that still maintain a self-destructive and stylized sound.

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“Church Outfit” sets an interesting tone with howling strings and a hook stating, “dress to the nines, show up on time, you can wear whatever you like!”, which speaks to the unique nature of Poppy herself as well as this specific record being a somewhat unpredictable addition to her discography. “Knockoff”, “Motorbike”, and “Zig” all have high energy and great rhythms, suitable for dancing, cleaning, running, and motorsport. 

The most tender and personal tracks are probably “Linger” and “Prove It”, expressing nothing short of exhaustion, impatience, and rage.  She also includes “Flicker” and “The Attic” which are good for all-around listening and express central emotions and feelings that the album seems to be based on—independence in the face of longing, or maybe just driving very fast. The weaker links of Zig are “1s + 0s” and “What It Becomes” due to certain rhythms and flows that are somewhat awkward in addition to repetitive lyricism. 

The album has received mixed criticism, stating that there are only one or two catchy songs. I admit that I have been listening to Poppy for a while, and it has been rewarding to listen to her create her own sound and explore her ideas in new genres. I do have a slight bias toward her for this reason, but I do think that this being her first time working in this genre, she did well. People have described Zig as sounding like it is about to fall apart completely. I have to agree, but I think she was, for the most part, able to use this to her advantage. I am looking forward to her next release, despite having no clue what to expect.