Review: Sigrid Delivers a Knockout Debut with 'Sucker Punch'

Following the release of two stunningly enchanting EPs, pop artist Sigrid innovates her sound in an electrifying exhilarant fashion with the release of her immensely personal, anthemic debut album ‘Sucker Punch’.

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To say that Sigrid’s highly anticipated debut album Sucker Punch has been a long time coming is an understatement of epic proportions. Although the 2017 release of her breakthrough track “Don’t Kill My Vibe” and her subsequent BBC Sound of 2018 win thrust her into public consciousness speedily, Sigrid’s overnight success has been a long time coming. Her debut single “Sun” and subsequent singles, such as the stunningly serene and adoring affectionate “Known You Forever”, showcased Sigrid’s early promise. From the start, Sigrid’s alluringly dazzling vocal performances and compassionate lyricism marked her as an exceptionally unique talent.

Stream: ‘Sucker Punch’ – Sigrid

The release of her Don’t Kill My Vibe EP in 2017 saw Sigrid deliver on her early promise in a brainstormingly brilliant fashion. The winning combination of “Dynamite’s” tender heart-wrenching lyricism, “Plot Twist’s” exuberantly defiant energy, “Fake Friends’”’ empowering lyrical sentiment complemented with effortlessly intriguing production and Don’t Kill My Vibe’s brilliant bold energy, was more than enough to rightfully earn Sigrid a legion of adoring fans.

Last year’s Raw EP showcased Sigrid incredible diversity as an artist with reflective, melancholy tracks such as “I Don’t Want To Know” and “Focus” sitting perfectly alongside “High Five” and “Schedules,” which enthralled with their endless energy. Even before the release of debut album, Sigrid’s list of accomplishments is almost never-ending; with striking performances at the world’s most notable festivals, prestigious TV slots and sell-out headline shows at colossal venues serving as just some highlights of Sigrid’s career. However, the release of Sucker Punch (out March 8, 2019) is likely to serve as Sigrid’s biggest defining moment yet.

“Sucker Punch,” the album’s title track, serves as an enthused introduction to Sigrid’s spirited debut album. The track’s soaring chorus serves as the focal point of the blazingly brilliant track which acts as a great showcase for Sigrid’s distinctively energetic vocals. While the track is undeniably playful, even in moments of sprightly whimsy her authentic lyricism, that’s immediately emotional impactful, still manages to dazzlingly shine through.

During the start of the following track “Never Mine,” Sigrid offers up a comforting vocal performance which floats gently above the track’s intriguingly ominous production. As the track develops, the track explodes with exuberantly ecstatic energy, which periodically subsides briefly throughout to shift focus onto Sigrid’s touching lyricism. The contrast that’s created by the sporadic changes in production serves to exemplify the bewilderment of conflicting emotions that accompany desperately trying to savour a blissful moment while recognising that your romantic entanglement may soon dissipate.

The subsequent track “Basic” enchants as it deals with the frustration of trying to deal with complicated and conflicting feelings while yearning for some form of clarity and forcing yourself not to be afraid of what’s good for you. While not overtly romantic, the track’s message undying desire for someone to express their emotions is tantalizing charming. Next, up on the album are pre-release singles “Strangers” and delightfully jubilant “Don’t Feel Like Crying.”

Sucker Punch - Sigrid art — Sucker Punch – Sigrid

Prior to the album’s release, six tracks had already been unleashed to the world — but their excellent positioning on the album and their interconnection with the previously unreleased tracks makes hearing them within the album an unadulterated pleasure. With “Don’t Feel Like Crying” especially, Sigrid makes heart-piercing rejection sound almost overwhelmingly jubilant, while still not negating her emotionally turbulent experiences.

Positioning relatively subdued “Level Up” directly after the boisterous “Don’t Feel Like Crying” initially feels like a curiously perplexing choice but as the track develops, the rationale for its’ positioning becomes evidently apparent. The almost meditative production allows for a clear focus to be placed on the track’s heart-warming lyrical sentiment, which speaks to the unbridled joy that comes from sharing the burden of your struggles and doubts with someone else. The line, “Last week I had too much clutter in my mind,” is deceptively simple yet utterly captivating, recognizing how all the small things can make you lose sight of what’s truly important.

The radiantly jubilant “Sight of You” evidences Sigrid’s appreciation of loyal, ever-growing fanbase, while “Business Dinners” represents Sigrid’s frustration that the music industry was trying to shape and commodify her identity. The track employs enthralling original production to represent that disorientation that results from people trying to transpose your character with something that feels disingenuous and apocryphal to you. While the exact struggles she describes in “Business Dinners” aren’t a universal experience, the feelings and emotions which drive the track are irrefutably relatable. Sigrid’s talent to take her own unique experiences and portray them in a way that’s astonishingly accessible is a testament to her both as a songwriter and an artist.

The album’s penultimate track “Never Mine” serves an almost unexpected and heart-poundingly thrilling highlight of Sucker Punch. With the song, Sigrid provides an exhilarating portrayal of the precariously challenging situation of risking losing a friend by telling them that you utterly adore them in a romantic way. The anthemic sing-along chorus finds purposefully made for sprawling festival fields but the lyricism which forms the verses is magnetizing authentic and sincerely heartfelt.

Sucker Punch draws to conclusion with an acoustic version of fan favourite “Dynamite,” originally from her debut EP, bringing the album to delightful close by paying testament to Sigrid’s origins. With Sucker Punch, Sigrid manages to find the beautiful awe in even the most agonizing of moments and conveys palpable emotion in a fashion that feels truly authentic to her.

The fact that fan favourites such as “Credit” and the frankly sensational “I Don’t Buy It” didn’t make the album is likely to upset some die-hard fans, as is the ambitious production that deviates from her earlier work. However, Sucker Punch is undoubtedly bound to gain her more fans than she loses. It’s boldly visionary debut album that evidences Sigrid’s ambition and its brilliance is primarily down to its awe-inspiringly astounding lyricism. Although her winning the accolade of BBC’s Sound of 2018 arguably made this album’s inevitable success a self-fulfilling prophecy, even a single listen to Sucker Punch makes it clear that this album’s successfulness will be more than well deserved.

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