By Kourtney Gierke, Contributor

[Geffen Records; 2025]

Rating: 8/10

Lucy Dacus dropped her first single “Ankles” from her highly anticipated upcoming album, Forever Is A Feeling. After some radio silence in her personal discography, “Ankles” is a nice reintroduction to her sound as she explores different genres and expresses her strengths as a lyricist.

The song starts off with just Dacus’ vocals and some light strings in the back. Slowly introducing more drums, the song picks up as Dacus sings her cheeky yet charming lyrics before she bursts into the sparkly, upbeat ballad. The chorus – “Pull me by the ankles to the edge of the bed / And take me like you do in your dreams / I’m not gonna stop you / I want you to show me what you mean” – is descriptive and memorable. From describing the simplicity in pulling someone’s hair to doing crosswords in the morning, “Ankles” shows the range between love and passion. 

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Dacus succeeds in making an emotionally charged song about physical yearning into a cheerful poppy hit.

As opposed to her other hits like “Night Shift” and “Hot and Heavy,” her new sound delves more into baroque-pop. “Ankles” is light and springy compared to her more intensely emotional songs. Her new sound fits both Dacus’ incredible alto range and personal aesthetics, as she heads in a gorgeous renaissance-inspired direction.

Lucy Dacus’ fourth studio album, Forever Is A Feeling, will be out March 28. For now, fans can enjoy her remarkable single “Ankles” that highlights her strengths as an artist and pop songwriter.

Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/track/5qKo0YSaAkYe6kgYz8Ac0Y?si=d87bf67dc7ea4be5