When you release two big singles in one year, you should make them straight-up anthems. That’s exactly what ILUKA achieved with her 2024 drops, “Cry Evil!” and “Wings”, which have been racking up the streams since their release.
The idiosyncratic pop artist wrote “Cry Evil!” as a fierce reclamation of female autonomy, released at a time when a woman’s right to her own body was so under threat, particularly in the US, where the Australian-born ILUKA is now based.
“Wings”, meanwhile, was just as bold, putting men on blast for taking over women’s stories. “Mary Magdalene had some fun / Some called her whore some called her a nun / Was she the baddest bitch in Bethlehem / We’ll never know coz her story’s written by men,” she pondered.
When you release two big hits year, and you’re going to take part in Rolling Stone AU/NZ‘s ‘In My Room’ session, you have to perform them during your session. And that’s exactly what ILUKA did for her stunning ‘In My Room’ debut, which you can watch above.
None of ILUKA’s trademark theatricality was lost in the intimate studio setting, her booming, blooming vocals coming to the forefront as always.
ILUKA has been one to watch in pop music for a while now. She went massively viral thanks to her unique take on Dolly Parton’s iconic song “Jolene”, with her rendition racking up over eight million views in no time.
Other notable releases followed, including the summery “Mess”, a cool joint release with Lime Cordiale which we hailed at the time as being “one of the year’s most impressive collaborations.”
“Mess” featured on ILUKA’s last full-length album, 2022’s Queen of Turbulent Hearts, and time will tell if a follow-up record is in the offing. If “Cry Evil!” and “Wings” are any indication, though, any new album could be ILUKA’s strongest pop record yet.
ILUKA’s “Wings” is out now.
