Following a big year in 2021, Jaguar Jonze has kicked off 2022 in the best way possible, unleashing her latest track, “CUT”, today.
To say that the last 12 months were a little hectic for Jaguar Jonze would be putting it lightly. In addition to releasing a constant stream of stunning tunes, Jonze utilised her voice to speak out for those who couldn’t, with her activism not only seeing her become one of Vogue Australia’s 21 Australian women who defined 2021, but also the recipient of the Done Good award at the 2021 J Awards.
Add in to the mix a listing as one of the Aussie artists in contention to represent the country at Eurovision 2022, and you’ve got an artist who can’t help but kick goals at every turn.
Now, Jaguar Jonze has unveiled her latest single, and it’s a stunner in every sense of the word. Dubbed “CUT”, the track is bolstered by stellar vocals and powerful, pounding instrumentation as it addresses the idea of unbalanced working relationships and the cathartic process of realising you’re in one and then exiting it.
“”CUT” is the anger behind realising that people you trusted professionally have been gaslighting you and manipulating your reality – constantly taking from you in a one-way transaction,” explains Jonze. “Once I realised what was happening, it was a long journey of breaking free from those environments and, more importantly, understanding that what happened had nothing to do with me.
“It spawned from their deep insecurity and greediness. I was then able to deprogram myself – I wanted nothing but to CUT, get out, and take back control.”
There’s a visceral, righteous anger present within the song, and it’s undeniably one that many listeners will find relevant to their own situation. To add a bit of context to the song, “CUT” comes paired with a music video which balances Jonze’s focus and determination with a “light, humorous, and maniacal energy” that we’ve not previously seen.
Much like her previous track, “WHO DIED AND MADE YOU KING?”, “CUT” sees Jaguar Jonze taking on the directorial, editing, and production roles herself – one of the many benefits of her years of advocating for safe working environments in the music industry.
“I wanted a physical interpretation of the meaning behind my song ‘CUT’ in the music video that was riding the fine line between shocking, engaging, maniacal, determined, comedic, and angry,” explains Jonze. “I only had two weeks to put the concept together, shoot it and edit it. I’m so proud of what was created in that pressure-cooker environment.
“I love learning this new medium to express my emotions and tell stories. In ‘CUT’, I wanted people to feel the desperation and determination to CUT themselves off from toxic, manipulative, gaslighting relationships in any environment once you’ve realised what has been happening to you,” she adds, “what better way to say that than putting an angle grinder to your private bits to CUT yourself out of there?”
While “CUT” serves as the first piece of new music from Jaguar Jonze that we’ve heard this year, her previous track record indicates that it won’t be long before we’re either hearing new music, or applauding another exceptional initiative from the artist.
Jaguar Jonze’s “CUT” is out now via Nettwerk Records.
