If 2022 has taught us anything, it's that emo is back, except this time it has a more youthful, feminine appearance. In the UK, bands like Nova Twins and Wargasm are at the vanguard of a budding, female-led nu-metal trend that is twisting the genre with pop elements to create a sharp, reinvigorated emo sound. Cassyette fits perfectly in: despite only having a string of singles to her credit, the Essex firebrand has gathered over a million fans on TikTok, performed alongside Frank Carter when he was the headliner of Download Festival 2021, and accompanied My Chemical Romance on their reunion tour.
Her first mixtape supports the publicity. 'Sad Girl,' which was recorded in her improvised home studio, is an enhanced expansion of her earlier work while retaining the enticing spirit of her scorching early songs 'Dear Goth' and 'Prison Purse.' The music is slick in its production and evocative of the anthems that marked Pink's "Missundaztood" album. The opening single, "Mayhem," combines gruff vocals with a slow-burning riff that explodes into a singalong chorus. As the song transitions from its sloppy morning-after vision to the defiant, desperate plea of the chorus: "I don't want to be a sad girl anymore!", Cassyette sings, "Sad Girl Summer" supports that distorted "pop girl" image with a peppy drumbeat.
The best parts come when Cassyette dives headfirst into her heavier inspirations, like the Evanescence-esque "September Rain" or the thrilling minute of solid screamo that is "diehatecry." The powerful pop-metal gem "Like That" combines spiralling guitars with a creeping kick drum to produce an upbeat call to action. Cassyette frequently defies expectations in her music.
'Take Take Take' builds to a cruel, devastating collapse, creating a final torrent of energy. Cassyette has demonstrated her ability to do it all, therefore no one can hope to contain or box her up as an artist. She flies off into the unforeseen with each release, demonstrating that the element of surprise is what makes her appealing.
