Recommended Tracks: “Son of a Bitch,” “I Hope It Hurts,” “Wild Ones”
Artists You Might Like: Lauren Spencer Smith, Megan Maroney, Tucker Wetmore
Rage — it’s a powerful emotion that can linger like there’s no tomorrow. Sometimes one thing, one person, or one moment can set you off like a firecracker. Feelings of rage, hurt and heartbreak can manifest themselves into this uncontrollable pain. For genre-bending artist Jessie Murph, much of her anger has been directed toward men. Murph finds herself sent off into a debilitating spiral in her debut album, That Ain’t No Man That’s The Devil, released on Friday, Sept. 6, captures the essence of her struggle with rage, hurt and heartbreak.
From rap, pop and country, Murph can confidently label herself as a “genreless” star in the making, enjoying the freedom to not define herself and express her raw feelings. Initially gaining attention through TikTok covers, Murph’s viral success led to the release of her debut single, “Upgrade,” and now, with this album, she’s continuing to make waves in the industry.
From the moment “Gotta Hold” begins, Murph’s jazzy vibes, Amy Winhouse- inspired vibes set the tone for her debut album. The track explores themes of temptation, inner conflict and self-destruction, with lyrics like, “He spins me round / He speaks to my soul / He’s taking me down / He’s killing me slow.” Murph portrays this person as “the devil,” embodying the allure of something harmful and immoral — specifically, a man she finds irresistible despite the damage he causes. Yet, some things are doomed. As the album progresses, she questions whether one should wallow in sorrow or turn the tables and make the wrongdoer regret their actions.
“Son of a Bitch” is a fiery, emotionally charged track that fuels the fire the album lays out for listeners to hear. Murph confronts someone who has wronged her, likely the same person introduced in the opening track, through themes of betrayal, revenge and empowerment. She remains fiercely unapologetically and portrays herself as both the victim of betrayal and someone who is ready to take control of the situation. The song showcases her dark, edgy sound and stands out as one of the lead singles. She sings, “Desperado, you son of a bitch / Chicago slutted up at the Ritz / I don’t, I didn’t sign up for this / You fucking son of a mm-mm.”
Yet, she continues to indulge in her seemingly unhealthy or morally wrong doings simply because it feels good in the moment in “It Ain’t Right,” continuing these toxic themes. Using imagery of flames, heatwaves and burning down the sky, Murph chooses to ignore the consequences because to her, even though it doesn’t feel right, it doesn’t feel wrong either. She continues this unhealthy cycle in “I Hope It Hurts,” where Murph channels her pain and anger into a desire for her ex to experience similar suffering, singing, “And I hope it burns, and I won’t be there / I hope it hurts everywhere / You’re gonna learn I’m happy to lose / But I hope you hurt, ’cause God knows I do.”
Murph portrays love as something that can be both beautiful and painful, with its emotional highs often leading to devastating lows as the album progresses. On “Love Lies,” she captures the intoxicating and often misleading nature of love: “Love lies they sweet talk through the night / Love lies still look you in your eyes / Love lies / Love lies they shoot you up so high / Love makes you godamn wanna die.” On country-rap track “Wild Ones” with Jelly Roll, she continues to explore themes of rebellion and excitement. Murph revels in the thrill of chaos and defiance, frequently repeating that she’s “got a thing for the wild ones.”
After confronting emotional pain and vulnerability on “Cold,” Murph finds herself taking the “High Road” on a song with Koe Wetzel. In this track, she chooses to rise above a toxic relationship with maturity and self-respect, trading in her destructive behaviors for a healthier approach. She sings, “I’ma take the high road, maybe get stoned / Have a little too much of something terrible / I’ma let you cool down while I walk out / You ain’t messing me up like the times before.” This theme of mutual change and loss of self within the relationship continues on “Someone In This Room,” featuring country rock singer Bailey Zimmerman. Here, Murph captures the sense of disillusionment and confusion that arise when both partners are deeply flawed and their interactions are destructive.
In the album’s final moments, Murph looks back on her relationship with raw anger, frustration and betrayal on “I Could Go Bad.” She grapples with her emotions after being let down by someone she trusted, using vivid imagery of burning and freezing to suggest a conflict between her intense feelings and emotional numbness “(I could go bad, give you hell / ‘Cause that would feel good for myself / You made me a fool, you made me a monster / And god-damn, I’m mad, but what is much worse.”
Murph struggles between lashing out and confronting the painful truth of being left emotionally scarred and vulnerable. Her highly anticipated debut album, That Ain’t No Man That’s The Devil, captures her journey from scorned and hurt to empowered and raw. The album is the perfect blend of genres, as she portrays herself as someone who has been wronged and transformed by her experiences into someone who confronts her pain head-on.
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