Pop music is the greatest of all art forms. Sure, some people might start bleating on about ‘high art’ and point at some revered painting or sculpture, but one listen to Foxes‘ new album ‘The Kick’ will put them right. A euphoric release after a couple of years of repressed emotions and yearning desires, it works on those levels nothing else can quite reach. So enamoured with its near-religious experience, we asked Foxes – aka Louisa Rose Allen – to run us through the record herself. And she did. What a champ.
Sister Ray
I wrote this as a kind of ode to a very special friend of mine, we used to have incredible nights out full of freedom and I felt like I was always in safe hands with her, the night would always be unforgettable. I wanted to re-create that feeling and pay tribute to some of our times together.
The Kick
I remember writing this and feeling extremely pent up and almost like I’d lost a spark or a feeling inside, I felt like I needed to find my spirit and joy again… The kick comes from an inner feeling of frustration and it was like a little journey of regaining my spirit in writing it.
Growing On Me
We started with the guitar riff in the chorus and that became the skeleton of the song, I remember loving it so much – and wanting to make that the main hook. It felt tough and to the point… which was the kind of angst energy i was feeling at the time. From there I knew I wanted the song to embody a relationship with yourself rather than someone else. It’s about becoming comfortable with who you are, and what you stand for.
Potential
This track just started with ‘Don’t make me wait on you’, it’s about holding out for someone to be committed and when they’re not it’s a horrible waiting game.
The chorus was written so quickly and I’d been listening to a lot of early Janet Jackson – so I had these quick melodies that just kept flying out.
Dance Magic
I just remember having the word alchemy in my head and thinking how love is like a strange alchemy between two people dancing around this chemistry. Even if it’s not the best match, sometimes you can’t help who you’re in love with.
Body Suit
I don’t usually write positive love songs but i’d like to think this one is. It’s about letting someone see the real you and not hiding or having to hold any pretence around that person, I just had this image of your human body suit coming away and the love underneath being visible.
Absolute
Absolute was written with one of my best friends, we’ve definitely had those nights where everything fades away and it’s that perfect point of the night when everything is aligned and feels just right – it’s about holding onto that feeling and it lasts. We also discussed how nothing good happens after 2am, so if you could just keep all the good stuff before then it would be perfect.
Two Kinds Of Silence
There’s a book with the same name that i was in the middle of reading, it’s not the same narrative but the title struck a chord with me. I felt at the time like I was talking to a stranger that happened to be my boyfriend. I couldn’t work out why I was reacting so differently to heartbreak and I felt like we were just both being silent and stubborn in our own ways. I guess it’s just the strangeness of love and how two people deal with losing each other differently.
Forgive Yourself
Whilst being in lockdown and sitting alone with my own mind, I felt things creep in and I felt like I was processing a lot of the past. I realised how much of a hard time I’d given myself in the past and how much I wouldn’t do that to a friend. I figured why would I do it to myself. I remember re-writing this chorus about 10 times with 4 different versions! It’s a message not just for me but I’d like people to try to give themselves an easier time as I know how hard it is to be kind to yourself.
Gentleman
The guitar riff started this one-off and from there we added the sax and it feels quite euphoric but also angst. It’s about calling out someone that fakes a gentleman-like persona but really underneath doesn’t have that quality at all.
Sky Love
I was watching a particular scene in Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away on my projector, the sky in this scene is pink and romantic and I felt like that image was the perfect kind of sky love. From there the song is about falling insanely for someone, like nothing you’ve felt before and all-consuming.
Too Much Colour
This was going to be the album title right at the beginning, it’s about oversensitivity being an empath and finding the world overwhelming at times. I remember watching a beautiful boy and thinking it was such a harrowing film, but also full of beauty. I wanted this track to stand alone as a piece of music and feel emotional even without lyrics, so there’s quite a lot of space which is how I wanted it, almost more like a soundtrack.
Foxes’ new album ‘The Kick’ is out now.
