It’s been a long time coming but Sigrid’s debut album is finally out in the world. ‘Sucker Punch’ is a bright and bold collection of pop tracks that showcases her strong songwriting and evolution as an artist. Opening with the carefree title track, she instantly dives into a playful arrangement that sets the tone perfectly for the rest of the album. ‘Mine Right Now’ is a clear standout with it’s 80’s pop influence and relatable lyrics where she reflects on a relationship that she’s just trying to live in the moment during. “Hey, it’s alright if we don’t end up together cause you’re mine right now”. From there ‘Never Mine’ follows a similar 80’s pop structure which you can imagine dancing to at a disco where you were crying in the corner but decided to have one last dance. “Between me and you, I want you back. But it doesn’t make sense, you were never mine”. Most of the album sits in the polished pop realm that hears her citing influences from the 80’s with songs like ‘Sight Of You’, ‘Don’t Feel Like Crying’ and ‘Strangers’ which you had heard prior to the release whilst the other new song ‘Basic’ isn’t so basic and stands out with it’s catchy and romantic hook. She gets a little experimental with the Japanese and gaming inspired ‘Business Dinners’ that uses heaps of DIY synths to stand out as he tries to own her power through its relative storyline. Lyrically ‘Level Up’ is a homage to gaming in a parallel universe to dating but the production is very minimalist and shows a raw side to her which is then complimented by the beautiful closing track ‘Dynamite’. This will forever be one of Sigrid’s best songs because of it’s simplicity that allows the lyrics and vocals to take centre stage. She candidly admits “I don’t belong in your universe, for better or for worse” as your heart then breaks in a thousand pieces but is put back together by its soothing melody. Her ballads are always stunning and ‘In Vain’ joins that category as well as being the only unreleased song from her live set to make the cut for the debut album. This song was written in a time of confusion where her head and her heart were at war with each other. In the end this moody track comes together with the addition of synths and has this comforting feel to it. “So don’t you stay if you don’t mean it. If you don’t feel it and just fuck me up again. Please walk away, and we’ll just leave it”.
As a whole ‘Sucker Punch’ is an incredible debut album that proves she is an artist that is here to stay. Her production is on a whole new level, her vocals are captivating and her lyrics are so honest and reflective. Songs from her live set like ‘Go To War’, ‘I Don’t Buy It’, ‘Credit’, ‘Doing You A Favour’ and ‘Haunted’ surprisingly didn’t make the cut which makes me question if we will ever hear studio versions of them because they deserve to see the light of day. However there are a lot of feels on this record, so prepare yourself for a rollercoaster ride of emotions.