Ratcheting the fanfare around her upcoming EP to fever pitch, Jessica Fortuin has shared the project’s newest singles, titled ‘Sucker Punch’ and ‘Vows’.
The two tracks see the Sydney-based, Maori singer-songwriter establish herself as an artist with charisma to spare, both documenting the throes of heartbreak with razor-sharp wit and an eclectic sonic palette.
The most recent release, ‘Sucker Punch’, sees Fortuin conjure up black magic as a means of bagging her longtime crush, as soundtracked by edgy Y2K emo flourishes and Tokyo Drift-style beats.
The concept of the track itself already spotlights Fortuin’s unique lyrical personality — with mentions of how her love-spawning sorcery has resulted in “sleepless nights with me on your mind” — but she adds even more charm with brazen production choices and colourful vocals.
‘Sucker Punch’ flits between braggadocious tap-pop and grungy, garage-bound rock, but it’s bound by the sheer energy of Fortuin’s songwriting and a sugary yet sinister voice that recalls the likes of Ashnikko.
“Say I’m the girl of your dreams,” she coos with a wink, “cos I’ve been astral jumping every night this week.”
Speaking of the track in a press statement, Fortuin said ‘Sucker Punch’ was borne out of “teenage angst and needing someone so desperately that I would do anything for them to be obsessed with me, even black magic.”
Much of that same infectious angsty energy is felt on ‘Vows’, which again showcases Fortuin’s penchant for subversive storytelling with a tale about someone objecting to the marriage of their ex-lover.
“It reminds me of the moment from Shrek where he storms into the wedding of Fiona and Lord Farquaad screaming ‘I OBJECT’,” Fortuin recalls, and the resulting track is every bit as vivid as the scene that it recalls.
Changing paces with more delicate vocals and spacier atmospherics, ‘Vows’ spotlights Fortuin’s equal mastery of slower-going balladry.
While she’s clearly at home in this more stripped-back sound — complete with dreamy keys, echoey harmonies and ambient drum beats — it isn’t long before Fortuin returns to her more bombastic tendencies.
A gradual build-up explodes on the chorus with jittery synths and soaring melodies, as ‘Vows’ finds a moment of sonic catharsis, as if you’re right there with Fortuin as pleads with someone who she “can’t let go this time.”
It’s a softer side to her artistry, but it’s not without that same captivating edge as ‘Sucker Punch’. ‘Vows’ and ‘Sucker Punch’ are two singles lifted from Fortuin’s upcoming EP, which is set for release in October.
That five-track project was produced by Fletcher Matthews, and it’s sure to usher in a breakout moment for Fortuin.
In the meantime, check out Jessica Fortuin’s latest singles ‘Sucker Punch’ and ‘Vows’ below.
