Following the earlier announcement of her eagerly anticipated sophomore album, 'You Heartbreaker, You', multi-disciplinary artist Jehnny Beth has unleashed her latest single, 'No Good For People', accompanied by a striking new video. This track is a masterclass in sonic intensity, presenting a distorted cacophony of synths that promises a challenging yet cathartic listening experience from her forthcoming full-length, due out on 29th August via Fiction Records.
'No Good For People' plunges listeners into a realm of raw introspection. Jehnny Beth reveals the inspiration behind the track, citing a pivotal scene from the first season of True Detective. "The idea of the song came as I re-watched the first season of True Detective," she explains. "There’s a scene at the end where the character played by Matthew McConaughey says that he can be hard to live with: 'I don’t mean to, but I can be…critical. Sometimes I think I’m just not good for people…I wear them down'. It spoke to me because it questions the inability to coexist with others and the delicate balance where the truth can be heartbreaking.” This deeply personal connection to the lyrics resonates through the track's potent delivery.
The visual accompaniment for 'No Good For People' is equally compelling, co-directed by Jehnny Beth herself and her long-standing collaborator, Johnny Hostile. Their symbiotic creative process is evident, as Jehnny notes, "For this album, Johnny and I worked on the music and the visuals simultaneously. One moment we were recording in the studio, the next we were taking pictures, or making a t-shirt, one always informing the other."
The video delves into themes of duality and concealed aspects of self. “For the ‘No Good For People’ video we explored this idea of the double, how we can be two-faced sometimes, or want to hide our ugly side," she elaborates. She also acknowledges a subtle, almost spiritual nod to a recently departed master: "It was made soon after David Lynch had died and somehow, when I watch it now, I can see a bit of his influence in the surrealistic aspects of some of the scenes (with blue curtains instead of red though!!)."
Recorded and produced entirely by Johnny Hostile at their 20L07 studio in France, 'You Heartbreaker, You' is described as visceral, abrasive, and utterly cathartic. Jehnny Beth frames the album within the context of contemporary global turmoil. “We’re living in a dark time, full of drama and barbarous tragedy. It became clear to me that, in these times, we either learn how to scream really well, or we learn how to whisper,” she reflects on the creation of the record. This statement hints at an album that confronts discomfort head-on, offering both powerful shouts and intimate murmurs as responses to a fractured world. Fans can anticipate a challenging yet ultimately rewarding journey into the mind of an artist who continues to push boundaries and bare her soul.
'You Heartbreaker, You' is set to cement Jehnny Beth’s reputation as one of the most compelling and uncompromising voices in contemporary music. For more, be sure to follow her today on Instagram, Facebook, and X.
