Narcissus – Jack Rua // REVIEW Jack Rua’s strong debut rocks the pop boat

Photo Credit: PureGrand

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Jack Rua is carving his own space on the dance floor with club-inspired debut Narcissus. Balancing pop with electro, there are moments of house and even trance that have slipped through the cracks. This speaks to Rua’s freshness and sonic-shapeshifting, which keeps us on our toes rather than leaving us behind. There is a journey within Rua’s debut and he counts the listener as someone along for the ride, taking their hand and inviting them into the energetic and chaotic world of self-discovery. 

 

Opening track ‘Narcissus’ creeps along with a devilish intent, tempting and trapping you as it erupts with dance vibes. Building from simple piano to beats that furiously propel the song, we’re introduced to the narcissus; hungry for love and to be recognised outside of the mirror. Reminiscent of Christine and the Queens ‘Narcissus is Back’, the themes of self-obsession, reflection and queerness rear their heads for the first time.

 

Clubby, unadulterated electro-pop bursting with energy, ‘Rise’ satisfies the formula of pop bop plus rap break as he collaborates with LOGUOS. A tidbit of hip hop, it adds flavour and compliments Rua’s pop nicely. Narcissus’s momentum continues with ‘Scarlet A’, and if there ever was a track to resurrect Nathaniel Hawthorne from his grave, it would be this fun bundle of naughtiness.

Narcissus delivers unrestrained and tantilising tracks, showing Rua to be a a queer pop powerhouse in the making. In ‘Ego’, the lyrics “I found another lover when I looked inside” attest to the importance of looking in as well as out. These aren’t songs just about heartbreak but track a blooming relationship between identity and love, embracing lust, shedding insecurity and being thrust into a life once longed-for now realised. ‘Curious’ celebrates fluidity and leaving labels behind. Oozing confidence, the heavy electro bassline and Rua’s playful lyrics destroy the harsh limitations that are put on sexual and gender exploration, casting inhibitions and whispers to the side.

 

Sharing and wearing his heart on his sleeve makes Rua’s record sharp and vivid; there is no hiding behind metaphor. Low-key ballad, ‘Reflection’ closes on a sombre note as a true reflection steps into the light. The journey that Rua has taken us on speaks to how self-love and discovery, particularly in the context of queerness, is not straight forward but filled with set-backs and triumphs, neither being dealt in equal measure.

 

Rua is showing what post-pop can look like. Blending elements of dance, house and (dare I say it) the odd bit of EDM, Rua is not falling in line with those trying to compete in the pop sphere, but flips it on its head.

 

 

 

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