Allie X, a current pop powerhouse, recently released her fifth studio album, Girl With No Face. The LP has cemented itself in the canon of her work and within her legacy as a luminary artist, brimming with sounds of the past. The 11-track experience was dropped alongside a surprising announcement for a tour to support the album.
This album was a choice to find out what happens when I lock myself in a room and try to make a record with no one else’s help or influence. An uncommon plight in the pop realm. This was all at once a hedonistic pursuit (indulging my bottomless pit of love for the post-punk/new wave epoch in the UK) and the most immense creative challenge I’ve ever undertaken. I’m proud of myself just for getting to this finish line. I’d like to thank the Girl With No Face, a presence I unintentionally summoned who went on to unleash her fury, vengeance, and sick sense of humor for the extent of this process. Girl, now that this record is out, I’d like to request that you only possess me during the live show. At all other times, I’ll be chasing the silence.
From Allie X’s press release for Girl With No Face
Having taken the Grimes approach by shutting herself in, X’s four-years-in-the-making album is a breath of fresh air in the pop realm. Her self-admitted adoration of the new wave and post-punk movements imbued itself into every song, with cues taken from the likes of Kraftwerk and Oppenheimer Analysis.
The opening track, “Weird World,” was teased days before the album’s release with a music video, drawing inspiration from synthpop legend Gary Numan in its aesthetics and sound. The track even sprinkles in German lyrics, which act as an homage to the Berlin new wave scene and allows X to make a callback to an unreleased song of hers.
Following “Weird World” are two of the most beloved songs from the album, the titular “Girl With No Face” and “Off With Her Tits.” Their reception is well-deserved, as they both act as the thesis of the album and what it means to X.
“Girl With No Face” makes so many sonic references to underrated new wave group Japan, particularly its Mick Karn-inspired bass riffs and snappy synthesizers. The lyrics are reminiscent of the killer collaboration between X and drag superstar Violet Chachki, “Mistress Violet,” a song about sexual torture and secret lives. The song is an absolute banger, and introduces the titular Girl With No Face, X’s “invisible muse.”
“Off With Her Tits” is similarly sharp, with echoing production that feels like something ripped from the soundtrack for the 1983 film Videodrome. Like the horror flick, the song utilizes body horror to make a statement about dysphoria and society’s expectations when it comes to feminine bodies. Halfway through, the eerie track morphs into a loud, triumphant anthem, reclaiming her body while challenging gender norms.
What follows is arguably the most underrated song on the LP, “John and Jonathan.” X slips into her recognizable husky whispers, weaving her voice into a backing track that seems to be a callback to the deep-cut electropop group Techniques Berlin’s song “Love Via Computer.” The song is about the real couple John Monaco and Jonathan Borge, who are both fans of X. Monaco is a prolific stylist, having worked with stars like Julianne Moore and Hugh Jackman, while Borge is currently the Deputy Editor for InStyle.com.
The next songs are just as phenomenal as those preceding them, with “Galina” and “Hardware Software” showcasing sounds from opposite sides of the spectrum– “Galina” has the makings of a modern synthpop song with desperate vocals from X, while “Hardware Software” is a hedonistic song that alludes to Kraftwerk’s “Computer Love” with its stylings while X leans into the Girl With No Face persona through sexy yet violent lyrics.
The seventh track, “Black Eye,” was the leading single for Girl With No Face. It quickly became one of X’s most-streamed songs. According to X, “This track […] is an effort to create a surreal yet truthful reflection of myself in a very strange world.” The masochistic song is punctuated with sharp synth hooks. On TikTok, X revealed that the meaning of “Black Eye” is “this sick idea that life is gonna keep punching you, so just embrace it.”
Tailing “Black Eye” is “You Slept On Me,” a bop that plays with the sentiment from fans that people are “sleeping on” X, not giving her the attention she deserves. The playful track feels like a whimsical chart topper from the 80s, whirling into a distorted chorus while poking fun at the state of the modern world.
“Saddest Smile,” the ninth song, shares a title with a Lebanon Hanover song, and seems to draw on the same roots of German darkwave. X’s range is on full display here, running from low and sultry to operatic. Her immense talent is only bolstered by the brooding backing track, making for a gripping listen.
The sarcastic lyricism of “Staying Power” follows, dripping with sardonic humor and a very evident post-punk influence. The distorted, heavy guitar and synths tango with X’s spiraling singing as she opens up about her health issues.
The closer, “Truly Dreams,” is very different from the rest of the album, as it is bubbly and hopeful. The track still maintains electropop influences with a little synth interlude and 80s stock sounds, but X explained why the song was divorced from the style of Girl With No Face.
This was a co-write with my partner, and it has a funk in there that wouldn’t have been there if I had written it myself. So because of the bounciness of the song, I just went to this more optimistic disco kind of place. I always had drag queens in mind when I wrote this. I really relate to drag queens, and this idea that we can put on our look and get out there and live our fantasy. Like “Staying Power,” it’s a perseverance song, but in a more fantastical way.
Allie X for Apple Music
To promote her fifth full-length album, X will be touring throughout June, 2022. More information can be found on her KoMi.io page.
Girl With No Face is arguably X’s best work, with consistent heavy-hitters on the LP. She was able to experiment and make something wholly unique to her while exploring her biggest influences in a way that feels innovative. Unlike many modern pop artists who are cheaply riding the nostalgia wave for retro synth production, X utilized her passion to make something special. The album is personal and powerful, making it a must-listen.
Girl With No Face can be streamed on most major music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube, while physical copies can be found in X’s official shop. To learn more about the album and her tour dates, follow Allie X on Instagram and TikTok.
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