Chloe Moriondo is done being a pop darling. On her new album, SUCKERPUNCH, they leave behind tired pop flavours and bedroom covers in favour of more in-your-face avant-garde songwriting and production. Gemma Cockrell gives her thoughts.
Chloe Moriondo was sick of being perceived as a soft person, so they went in the complete opposite direction. They got angry. SUCKERPUNCH sees her explore a completely new side to herself as an artist, abandoning her previous ukulele sweetness for a new persona, transforming into a fun, fierce, flirty pop-girl.
Things kicks off with the track Popstar, which immediately outlines Chloe’s mission statement for the rest of the record, as well as making it clear who her influences were in the making this album. Think Ke$ha, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga. To put it simply, Chloe is here to make an unapologetic pop record. She is here to be a popstar.
This track is followed immediately by Fruity, the album’s punchy and unforgettable lead single. Think of what would happen if you created a fusion California Gurls by Katy Perry and Vroom Vroom by Charli XCX. That’s the best description I can provide of the track. If you can’t possibly imagine such a concoction, then you’ll have to give it a listen yourself.
Following this, things turn a bit… angrier, and the album title really comes to make sense. The track Trophy is centred around keying someone’s car, before Knockout threatens to - yes, you guessed it - knock someone out. Evil, yes, but in a kind of sweet way, whilst wearing a pink Hello Kitty robe.
The album still features Chloe’s signature creepiness that has popped up throughout her discography, captured best here by the back-to-back concept songs Hell Hounds and Hotel for Clowns. Think of a song like I Eat Boys from her previous album Blood Bunny, but remove any of the cuteness. Here, Chloe is shinier, sexier, fiercer.
SUCKERPUNCH does become considerably softer in its latter half, forming a string of around four tracks that remind me of Charli XCX’s Pop 2 mixtape, in terms of production. Moments like Cdbaby<3 and the album’s only love song, Hearteyes, prove that even if you are a tough girl, you can’t block out your emotions forever.
This album is entirely different to anything that Chloe has released before, and completely beyond anything that I previously thought she was capable of. By exploring pastures new, they have produced their most mature and complete body of work to date.
Gemma Cockrell
Edited by: Ewan Samms
Cover image and in-article image courtesy of Chloe Moriondo via instagram. In article video courtesy of Chloe Moriondo via YouTube.
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