LA-based electro-pop duo, Joyeur helped their fans get their body beats in their intricately melodic and mindfully quintessential 10-track album, How to Love Yourself and Not Destroy Everything.
With the opening single, Underbelly, which melds Big Black Delta electronic textures with Lady Gaga-level pop supreme style, you are instantly caught off-guard by Joyeur’s ability to shine through the pain lyrically, vocally, and instrumentally. The convergences of genres switch between amalgamations of hip hop, RnB, pop and electro from there on out; the only constant, the artists inclination to vocally shine light on dimmed perspectives.
As someone who knows exactly how it feels to spin a self-destructive narrative and watch the carnage amass around my own spited belligerence, How to Love Yourself and Not Destroy Everything was so much more than just a feat of sonic serendipity.
There has never been such a succinct pop exposition on the necessity of self-awareness and accountability. Joyeur notably has what it takes to draw listeners into a world where they too see the beauty in life’s flaws through music.
The layers of synthetic elements don’t attempt anything all too grandiose between the tracks on the debut LP, leaving plenty of the sonic focus on the sanctity that streams from vocalist Joelle, who found the perfect match with her collaborator and producer, Anna Feller.
Here is what Joyeur had to say on their LP
“The album explores human themes of hopefulness, perseverance, self-acceptance and self-sabotage—experiences that have guided my writing from the beginning
I feel like I’ve torn the veil off my pain, fear, and insecurities to reveal a power that can be used for good. Empowering and accepting myself in this way feels like a gateway to letting love in and stopping undermining my own wants and needs. I can be my own worst enemy.”
The album is now available to stream on SoundCloud and Spotify.
Review by Amelia Vandergast