An insatiably inventive drive has fueled Poppy’s surrealistic rise through countless corners of the arts and music worlds, with each of her many projects so far revealing a different glimpse of a true visionary unconcerned with genre, unimpressed by convention, and forever defying expectations. It’s that eclecticism that has cemented Poppy’s reputation as a boundary-obliterating artist redefining culture as we know it, at every turn.
From performance art provocateur, to video director, to sci-fi graphic novel author, to a globe-traveling recording artist whose songbook encompasses anything from brutal metal breakdowns and snappy ‘60s bubblegum, to trap-pop and grunge-punk, absolutely nothing has been off-limits when it comes to Poppy masterfully executing her varied artistic vision. Her 2021 GRAMMY nod for Best Metal Performance (“BLOODMONEY”) marked the first time a solo female artist had ever been nominated in the category. Her staggeringly chameleon-like adaptability has kept fans guessing what’s next every step of the way. And yet, each impressive and feverishly ambitious pivot manages to sound uniquely, and singularly “Poppy”.
Poppy’s 2024 has been one of her most memorable years yet, between touring with 30 Seconds to Mars and Avenged Sevenfold, and releasing smash collaborative singles with the likes of Bad Omens (“V.A.N.”) and Knocked Loose (“Suffocate”). It only gets better, with the solo artist now vaulting deep into her next daring era with the release of her fifth multi-versal full-length, Negative Spaces.
The album continues the sonic adventurism of this spring’s diamond-radiant industrial anthem “new way out,” with Poppy and producer Jordan Fish (ex-Bring Me the Horizon) also mirror-balling through delicately-delivered pop (“yesterday”), full bodied screams (“have you had enough”), synth-symbiotic ‘80s retro-futurism (“crystallized”) and energy-jolted ‘00s pop-punk (“Negative Spaces”). It’s the thrilling sound of an ever-evolving artist redefining their legacy one song at a time, with a welcome understanding that there’s still so much inspiration to be found in the margins yet to be explored, deep within the negative spaces.