Hyperpop princess Jenny Alien recently released her debut album, Massive Love Bangers, a collection of punk rock energy fused with honest, insightful lyrics.
Along with the familiar hyperpop elements, there’s a compelling spirit of experimentation running through the album. Seamlessly hopping between her established styles and her emerging electro-punk sound, Jenny has created a resoundingly emotional and raw record that deftly meshes her cornucopia of musical and life experience into one big “coming of age” statement.
The lead single “Summer Fling,” balances the bright and hopeful vibes of an ’80s pop ballad with uber-modern hyperpop nuances and production, resulting in a wildly memorable song.
Talking about the album, Jenny Alien says, “‘Massive Love Bangers’ is an unabashed pop compilation of love and heartbreak and is embarrassingly sincere. It’s pop and chaotic, punk at moments, then ends on a stripped-down guitar ballad – an emotional arch similar to the craziness of what my experience of falling in and out of love feels like. Dance, cry, scream, makeup, make out (I don’t care), while I open up about my love life, partying, sex, drugs, queerness, and everything in between.”
Originally from Chicago, Jenny Alien relocated to London a few years ago, where she immersed herself in hyperpop. Landing in Brooklyn after her time in the UK, she rediscovered her punk roots.
Tatoo.com spoke with Jenny Alien to find out more about how the album came together, how she got started in music, and the evolution of her sound.
What inspired your new album, ‘Massive Love Bangers?’
‘Massive Love Bangers’ is a hyperpop/pop compilation album inspired by early ‘90s mixtapes. It’s a mishmash of new and old songs, and I kind of want the experience to be like stumbling onto a love mixtape that spills stories about love, heartbreak, and partying.
Walk us through your mindset as you entered the studio to record the album.
The whole album was actually recorded at home over a couple of years. Recording at home definitely makes the whole thing way more personal and vulnerable feeling because I’m writing from a place loaded with memory and experience.
And it wasn’t this grand plan to make an album; it pretty much came together organically. All these songs about love and heartbreak naturally came together to tell a story—like a hyperpop emotional rollercoaster.
What’s the music scene in Brooklyn like?
There’s some really special stuff coming out of the scene right now— lots of experimentation and fusion of genres. It’s also a lot more punk and rock than what I was used to in London— and there’s a very raw nature to a lot of the acts. One of my favorite acts is Abbie from Mars, which can only be described as Laurie-Anderson core, and also Tiberius Saint and ZAI who are also extremely talented. Some people think the scene’s dead— and sure it doesn’t look the same as it used to back in the golden era of indie sleaze— but it’s still poppin. Just in its own way.
How did you get started in music?
Honestly, it was a happy accident. Started pretty haphazardly in my punk band called The Afterbirth— I actually still play with a few of the members today, (shoutout Annabelle and Olive). The band was terrible in a really fucking sick way that can’t be recreated. Most of us weren’t musicians and could barely play our instruments, but just loved to fuck around and put on shows in the most random places, like storage closets. Growing up in the Chicago DIY scene, I learned that any place could be a venue if you squint hard enough.
It’s funny looking back at all this and thinking about how far I’ve come. Now, I do music full time (not just my band of course, because there’s no money in music that way) — but I work as a live sound engineer and also a producer. Can totally nerd out about music for hours… ha-ha; old me would have thought I was really annoying.
Did your sound evolve naturally, or did you deliberately push it in a certain direction?
Kind of a mix. I was living in London when I switched over to hyperpop – specifically South East which was where hyperpop was born. So that influence was everywhere. When I moved there in 2019, people in the States didn’t really know about the genre, or at least they weren’t talking about it the same way as now. Then when I moved back to Brooklyn in 2022, everyone seemed to be into hyperpop— which let me find an audience pretty easily.
But like I mentioned earlier— the NY scene is a lot more punk and rock-focused, so I started playing with a live band. Naturally, my sound became this electronic-punk fusion, and all my new unreleased work is in this genre. Just feels right, and I think it’s honestly some of the best work I’ve ever made.
What can you share about your writing process?
My best stuff hits me in under 10 minutes. Not saying the whole song is done then—far from it. But that initial burst is really important. It’s pretty magical: like your brain turns off, and lyrics just happen. Then being a producer, there’s a lot of sculpting afterwards. And showing other people and getting their opinions – that’s also really important.
You have ink. How many? And which is your favorite?
Mom tatt for sure. I love my mom. Shoutout moms
Is your ink simply body art or is there more significance to it?
I have a stick and poke on my ankle that says “yo,” if that answers your question. It doesn’t have to be deep. But it can be too If that’s what works for you.
In your opinion, which music artists are killing it right now?
Frost children, and Dorian Electra. Bloody hell, they’re everywhere nowadays. And their productions are incredible.
What is your definition of success?
Having a hot gf.
What can your fans look forward to over the next six months? Live gigs? New music?
I have a ton of unreleased work that I’m planning on dropping this year, and it’s the best stuff I’ve ever created. It fuses electronic and punk music in a new way that I really haven’t heard before. And we’re ‘cutting the fat’ as my guitarist Olive says— only releasing our favorite stuff. So, nothing but bangers.
We’re also ‘cutting the fat’ with live shows – only playing when we know we can rep fully. So, you should definitely come out if you live in NYC— they’re always the best times ever. Tap in. It’s one big mosh party.
