If watching city pop videos in YouTube helped you keep your mental sanity during COVID times, you definitely came across the algorithm’s favorite «Baby Powder» by Jenevieve. I mean it was everywhere. Just when we thought that the entire world was falling apart, the LA-based singer rescued us with an instant classic that brought nostalgic lyrics over a perfect sample from Anri’s Last Summer Whisper.
While 30 million YouTube views backing her up, Jenevieve’s talent was undeniable. Still, I didn’t get the chance to follow her next moves. After giving Division LP a listen and catching mixed feelings about its tracklist, I just lost track of her. Fast forward a few years and here i am listening to Crysalis LP, her sophomore album, trying to catch up with everything the Miami raised artist has been putting out.
Crysalis feels like a build-up from the 90’s funky sound that shaped Rendevouz EP, her previous project. No surprise there—her longtime collaborator and producer Elijah Gabor is behind the wheel again. But this time the vibe feels flirtier. Tracks like “Haiku” and “Faded Lve” pull us into more intimate spaces, while “Nocturne” and “Head Over Heels” go even deeper, almost melting in your ears as soon as they start
Even when Jenevieve leans on familiar chord progressions in “Hvn High” or taps into slacker pop formulas on “Naive” (think Cuco), she raises the stakes with “Partycrasher». The production is razor-sharp, delivering the standout track of Crysalis—and honestly, it feels like it could sit comfortably alongside my all-time favorite, Blood Orange’s Freetown Sound LP
Listen now Crysalis LP below and let me know what you think.
