More about: Connie Constance

From the crackled tones to the whispered countdown that open up Connie Constance’s sophomore album, there is an immediate sense that her quiet power is about to become explosive.

‘In The Beginning’, the opener for Miss Power, is akin to a taunt – it’s the calm before the storm in sonic form, a brazenly uttered tale with minimal beats to fall upon. Then the clanging percussion and ravenous basslines of ‘Till The World’s Awake’ break loose and assure that that minimalism is nowhere to be seen thus forward; Miss Power is Connie Constance undimmed, at full brightness, full noise, full excellence. 

The follow up to 2019’s English Rose and more recently her Prim & Propa EP, Miss Power had quite the string of predecessors to live up to. And yet, this feels like Connie’s most crucial work. All the strongest elements of her previous work are brought to the surface and amplified as much as possible – it revels in its own vibrancy, steadily examines the world around her and brings an energy and adoration to each track that is distinctly Connie Constance. 

Her voice is a deeply flexible asset, bending to each track’s needs and bouncing back each time. At times, she adopts a more spoken word approach – ‘YUCK!’ comes to mind – whilst elsewhere, she practically growls, as ‘Never Get To Love You’’s dramatic build allows her to do so. In fact, those dramatic builds showcase some of her strongest capabilities as an artist – ‘Mood Hoover’ follows suit, carefully curating a soundscape before relinquishing control and allowing the force of her indie-disco tendencies to take a hold. She flits between anguished and melancholic and enraged and unafraid to voice that with miraculous control.

‘Hurt You’ is nothing short of delicious – it’s one of those that you can’t quite get enough, revelling in it’s dark thrum. Connie doesn’t shy away from playing the villain, but if getting revenge sounds this good, why wouldn’t you? The track sparks directly into ‘Kamikaze’, a particularly riotous moment that combines with ‘Hurt You’ for a spectacular one-two punch. 

Her first album since going independent a couple of years ago, Miss Power is buoyed by its own autonomy. There’s a million directions it seems to take all at once, and on listening you’re struck with the sheer force of Connie Constance’s creativity. Her earlier releases were powerful, yes, but Miss Power is more aligned – more in tune with who Connie is and the potential she is absolutely brimming with. It’s unlocked a new era for the artist, one in which she will continue to thrive in her own direction. She can transform into different artists for each tracks, flexing each musical muscle effortlessly and it comes together on Miss Power to showcase an artist both self-assured and incredibly exciting.

Miss Power is out now

Grab your copy of the Gigwise print magazine here.

More about: Connie Constance