19-year old London prodigy Suzi Wu may have just launched onto the scene with debut EP Teenage Witch, however, no one can deny she’s bursting with attitude. As a fan of comic books, the EP drew inspiration from comic book artist Simon Hanselmann, with Wu relating “I like my colours vibrant, my characters complex and my story surreal. So I try and emulate that in my music.” And it’s clear that Suzi Wu has truly done so, with an offbeat sense of realism of the modern paradigm and its feeling of directionless.
With its titular track beginning “Ashes to ashes/dust to dust / The guys are fuckboys / Girls are sluts”, Wu dances around the melodrama of the millennial as a self-confessed “beautiful disgrace” with ill-adjusted ease. Making statements about modern norms, themes about relationships, love, and substances while being “too scared to live / too stoned to die”. Comparisons can easily, and happily, be drawn to the lyrical and vocal style of Lily Allen in the noughties, though lyrically more concise. She’s full of charisma and relates to the darker side of modern life. Then with the added crude, but beautifully composed instrumentation, Wu’s tracks are absolutely enthralling.
Excitingly, Wu had her first ever live show in early December. Speaking to Noisey earlier in the year, Wu divulged her goals with her live show: “I also really want to get a live show together that will freak people out. I want to play stuff with my mates and get it to the point where it’s going to blow people away. I’m just going to really go for it.” Judging by fan reaction, Suzi did just that.
You may wonder what the new year brings for this stunning new artist. Like many, I cannot wait to be captivated by what is yet to come, and I’m certain they will be more. In the same interview to Noisey in September, Suzi said: “I’m going to release another EP, but my main aim in life is to create an incredible album, even though it’s a lot of pressure.”
Suzi Wu is signed to Lucky Number Music. Catch her at The Lexington on January 9th, tickets here. Check out more of The Edge‘s List for 2018 here.
