EMMA BLACKERY'S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED DEBUT ALBUM 'VILLAINS'

After listening to one of 2018’s catchiest bangers “Agenda,” ROUGH ONLINE was dying to hear Emma Blackery’s debut album “Villains” and the result is a Pop masterpiece that deserves the same praise that singles like “Dirt” and “Take Me Out” received on their own. Blackery’s L.P kicks off with “Villains Pt. 1,” a slow-tempo, Hip-Hop sounding song, reminiscent of early Lana Del Rey, featuring a simple yet effective chord structure performed on the piano in reverse which delivers a slightly creepy feel and sinister strings played in the background, leading up to a chorus which completely wakes you up from what was a musically soft beginning, via the use of fuzzy synths and a fierce overdrive-effected lead guitar that almost sounds like the Devil, overall grabbing your attention from the get-go as it is quite an unconventional way to kick-start a Pop record due to its’ dark introduction, which Rough Online applaud for its’ uniqueness.

However, Blackery’s debut record takes no time to get to the fun part, with the use of “Dirt” which completely contradicts Villain’s hellish start. Giving off Tropical House-esque vibes and a memorable chorus, “Dirt” most definitely puts a stamp on Emma’s fun-loving Pop sound, which lyrically explores the idea of vengeance, while the music delivers a colourful music production full of classic, filtered Dance Pop synths, similar to the keyboard sounds from Cyndi Lauper’s 2008 club banger “Into The Nightlife,” which Rough Online absolutely love. And what can we say about Track 3…”Agenda”? Well, it’s quite frankly…one of the best Pop songs Rough Online has ever listened to.

ROUGH ONLINE loves “Fake Friends” because of its’ quirky hook and lyrically playful and sarcastic sentiment that’s totally unforgettable, while Emma sings the words “just know your role and we’ll be fake friends” over a great chord structure reminiscent of Blondie’s 1979 classic hit single “Heart Of Glass.” “Icarus” on the other hand goes into a more musically chilled realm and is the album’s Alternative Pop song, which opens with a melody performed on the xylophone similar to the famous Beastie Boys hook played on the same instrument from their 1987 track “Girls.” The chorus section ensures that you hear Emma’s soothing voice as the music is completely stripped down to just a bass line and an atmospheric synth, concluding “Icarus” to be the most unusual song on “Villains” which takes you on a completely different journey in comparison to her previous tracks and Icarus’s best moment has to be the captivating Middle 8 section which showcases a piano playing an emotive, closed two chords and Emma’s delicate vocals. However, “Take Me Out” brings back the fun with the utmost bold flair, with a powerful chorus where Blackery performs “chatty,” vocals dips in her voice on lines like “you are the liar, I am the fire,” while the song “Petty” throws you into a similar realm to Justin Bieber’s 2015 smash hit single “Love Yourself” via the use of a clean, electric guitar riff and an R&B Pop beat, while Emma sings her best lyrics to date “you used to call me pretty til’ you took out the R.” The instrumental section of “Petty” where her vocal melody is filtered, chopped up and experimented with, producing a whole new sound, and Diplo-esque synths are thrown in there, all together quite frankly makes you want to twerk big-time, concluding that this is without a doubt Rough Online’s personal favourite from Blackery’s debut. “Petty” is most definitely Emma at her best.

On “Third Eye” we find Blackery delivering a Dance Pop track where “Kylie Minogue meets traditional Ibiza-style” and “What I Felt With You” is the album’s heartfelt ballad we had been waiting for and Rough Online are not disappointed one bit. Featuring a slow-tempo Dance beat, clockenspiel-esque synths in the background, alongside beautifully played strings and Emma’s whispery tone, it is an overall dreamy piece of music similar to Taylor Swift’s current sound, specifically her recent single “Delicate.” This accomplished debut is brought to a close with “Burn The Witch” which Rough Online predict to be her next single, with its’ radio friendly sound and traditional Pop chords, and “Villains Pt. 2” which opens with synths reminiscent of Kraftwerk’s UK Number 1 single from 1982 “The Model” as well as the unforgettable Electro sound of the Pet Shop Boys. It is the most captivating moment on the album, specifically due to Emma’s powerful, strong, Rock-influenced vocal performance in Villains Pt.2’s epic finale. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself in floods of tears listening to Blackery’s emotional voice, in what Rough Online has labelled “the best way to end one of the finest Pop albums of 2018.” So what are you waiting for…download and stream Emma Blackery’s “Villains” album, out now on all online stores.