Nia Archives' second album, Emotional Junglist, released on Island Records, is a self-assured blend of drum'n'bass rhythms and angsty pop odes, drawing on influences from Arctic Monkeys to Kate Nash. The album documents a whirlwind romance and its aftermath, showcasing Archives' evolution as a pop artist.
A Unique Path to Stardom
Archives, born in Bradford, left home at 16 to move into a youth hostel in Manchester, where she taught herself to make beats. She later studied music production in Hackney, funding her debut single with a student loan. She made history as the first electronic/dance act to win a Mobo in decades after campaigning for dance music inclusion at the awards in 2022. Her 2024 debut album Silence Is Loud earned her three Brit nominations and a Mercury Prize nomination, the first for a junglist since 1997.
Album Structure and Sound
Emotional Junglist is divided into two halves: the first explores falling in love at breakneck speed, while the second deals with sudden heartbreak. Archives steps out with a full live band for the first time, giving the album a heft that emphasizes bass throbs, cymbal crashes, and string swells. The melodies blend indie-pop and R&B with syncopated breakbeats, creating sticky, evolved hooks.
The album nods to early 2000s indie bands: the guitar riff of Around tha Bend recalls Bloc Party, while Dance With Me 2Nite echoes early Arctic Monkeys, with James Ford credited on the track. Both are underpinned by anxious rhythms that nod to DJ decks.
Genre-Blending and Emotional Depth
Archives slows the BPM on some tracks, wearing her heart on her sleeve. This Could Be… is a bouncy Kate Nash-style ditty, while Superlust feels sleepier than its title suggests. The melancholic second half features some of her best pop songs: Almost Always is an icy ballad reminiscent of Dido or Natalie Imbruglia, and Lovers Grief blends gloomy indie rock with skittering drums and raw lyrics: “I could go to bed, but then I’ve got to get up and do this shit again.”
Sultry moments include Danger, originally written for a Rihanna camp, featuring the neologism “pussy-blushing” and muscular drums. Jorja Smith joins on Get Me Down, a feathery R&B track described as a musical “u up?” text. Sampha appears on Tender, a piano ballad capturing the moment reality cracks a romantic fantasy.
Archives as a Pop Star
Archives has been seen as a rarity in male-dominated jungle, claiming to “feminise” the genre with emotional sensibility. However, Emotional Junglist is not just “jungle for the girls”; it ambitiously expands the genre by conversing with myriad others, weaving a cohesive narrative. According to the review, Archives emerges as a curator, storyteller, and pop star.
