By Rivers Riggs, Contributor  

[Sumerian Records; 2024] 

Rating: 6/10

Gaining popularity first in the YouTube sphere with her nonsensical videos and odd persona, Poppy has taken the stage time and time again, surprising people with new performances, new genres and a new attitude. Following her quickly found YouTube notoriety, she used this as a pushing off point for her brand, a post-genre satirical look at pop music, featuring a juxtaposition between her “creepy” internet persona and catchy pop-tunes with easy to remember lyrics. 

Poppy’s latest release, two singles titled “they’re all around us” and “new way out,” features the two tracks from her upcoming sixth studio album, Negative Spaces, which finds her firmly seated in alternative music, heavily influenced by metal and rock artists. Her collaborative efforts have also reflected this change in music, with “they’re all around us” boasting an impressive collaboration between co-writers Jordan Fish, formerly of Bring Me The Horizon, and House Of Protection’s Stephen Harrison, who has worked previously with Poppy on tracks such as “Choke.”

Read more: Album Review: Suki Waterhouse – Memoir of a Sparklemuffin

In an interview with NME, Poppy reflected on her past project Zig and talked about her upcoming piece: “The mission for that album was to make a dance-inspired piece, but for this project, the goal is to bring a new level of intensity to my music. It feels like a good time for it as well, because there’s a lot of tension out there.” 

Poppy has confirmed in further interviews, however, that the upcoming album will feature a myriad of inspirations, never one to be confined to a single genre or box. 

The first track, “they’re all around us,” wastes no time in telling the listener exactly what kind of album they are in for. Long gone are the days of Poppy beats and synths; “they’re all around us” features a punch to the face, starting with heavy guitar and hardcore influences. As with much of her musical journey in general, “they’re all around us” features lyrics that can be interpreted as a reflection on a journey. These are a criticism of people who use their influence and power to manipulate those they situate below them, and reflections on how perceptions can change and how people can be vilified for changing themselves. 

“new way out” feels like a gift for long-time fans, featuring a callback to her early career and branding in the first line. Her name, being spoken in a high-pitched almost robotic voice, is used to open up the song, reminiscent of her earliest viral video, one in which she repeated her name in this distinct cadence over and over again, a theme which would be repeated in titles such as “I’m Poppy.” It is clear that on some level this is her establishing yet again that her branding has not changed, only evolved to better reflect her vision in music. 

Whereas past songs, such as “X,” seem to jump between genres in the song itself, both songs in this single maintain a very similar sound. The lack of experimental aspects may be a turn off for those looking to Poppy for her strange song structures and progressions, but the singles’ distinctly 2000s alternative rock inspired chorus and killer vocals are sure to bring in new fans to the scene. On an upcoming album with 15 tracks total, Poppy is still leaving plenty of possible room to breathe on the album, which hopefully will bring forward more experimental styles or genre-switches.

Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/album/6gMiln92by2lYuGM8lggNj