Scene Queen has become a divisive figure in the music world. Her music speaks for the LGBTQIA+, gender non-conforming people and minority genders, neurodivergent types and basically anyone else who has had to work for a safe space in the metal scene. For the sake of clarity, this review comes from a queer perspective.
Scene Queen’s debut album features some older tracks that have become live staples like ‘Anthem of Disgust,‘ ’18+,‘ and the call to action against abusers, ‘Push Up Bra’. There’s still a great deal of interesting songwriting and growth in all of the new work, some of which doubles down on the hip-hop influence that her music has featured. The whole album has this sick-of-everything tone and that makes some of the more aggressive tracks like ‘BDSM’ and ‘Oral Fixation’ hit even harder.
There’s a wealth of girly pop club bangers that hit hard; ‘Girls Gone Wild’ has big single energy with its synth hooks and primal scream chorus and ‘PEG’ could comfortably fit into any girls night out playlist. Whether intentional or not, this album feels like a metalcore interpretation of Ashnikko with its abrasive and crass tone. ‘Amateur’ is probably the best representation of this and also contains my personal favourite line of the album; “if you want an A, eat this apple all day, just Lewynsky the desk because class is in sesh”. Bars.
‘Mutual Masturbation’ hits super close to home having gone to many prog shows and eavesdropping on insufferable production snobs talking about hybrid picked mixolydian legato sweep arpeggios and the differences between an Asusmajor#9 and a 1997 Toyota Corolla. It’s a cathartic track and I’ll take any opportunity I can to talk smack about prog snobs.
Hot Singles in Your Area has some surprising emotional depth and vulnerability in the form of the album closer, ‘Climax’. It’s easy to forget that Scene Queen is a character and that there’s a person with genuine thoughts, feelings, insecurities and neuroses and ‘Climax’ touches on all of that for a deep, introspective and relatable moment. “Silly gets old” is a line that holds some particular resonance. As someone who has relied on comedy as a cornerstone of my personality, you always end up asking yourself “What’s left if I don’t have jokes?”
Scene Queen is a woman who usually writes about being a strong, infallible force of nature who speaks for the voiceless and stands up for those who need it so to hear some vulnerability makes her feel all the more inspirational. Scene Queen has proven that she’s capable of writing clever and funny lyrics that have a point, anthemic emo arena rock ragers, pulverising beatdown bangers all while serving c***.
There’s something for everyone unless you’re a terrible person, then there’s nothing for you. It’s also worth noting that I clocked that all the song titles were porn categories before Scene Queen mentioned it on Twitter. I don’t know what that says about me but it can’t be anything good.
