Meg Myers is a true outlier in modern music, an incredible talent that fits into the pop world, but will forever carry a passion for scuzzy alternative sounds that appeal to fans of everyone from Billy Eilish to Nine Inch Nails. Indeed, this is Meg’s power.
With this album, Myers is promoting hope, and personal growth throughout. This is, of course, something we know she has done plenty of in the last few years. ‘CHILDREN OF LIGHT II’ is that pounding uplifting start, the kind of song that can lift you up, no matter where you are from. ‘NEW SOCIETY’ is an industrial pop anti-anthem anthem that feels like something that could fill arenas with singing voices, and some emotional, tearful faces.
‘ME’ is a standout single promoting self-love, for sure. An ode to Meg’s harder, grungier influences. Pulsating beats remind me of the 90s electro-rock of Nine Inch Nails or Outside-era Bowie. Indeed, that Bowie comparison is particularly relevant given Myers’ inherent sonic diversity. ‘HTIS’ hits next featuring some lovely guest spots from some powerful figures in modern alternative rock music (Carmen from BONES UK, and Luna Shadows) for a sex-positive powerhouse filled with pop hooks, that will doubtless be a favourite for many fans.
‘T33NAGERS’ takes inspiration from Alanis Morissette with its raw, affecting energy, while ‘MY MIRROR’ transports Meg back to the ‘Sorry’-era of her back-catalog with its rawer full-band vibes. ‘I JUST WANT TO TOUCH SOMEBODY’ features Myers reaching out to her fans, “I just want to touch somebody, so that they can be their own somebody”. I feel like these songs will have SUCH an impact on others over the last few years. It’s clear that Meg Myers might not clearly understand just how much her music means to others, but my hope is that one day she learns. People really do resonate with this stuff.
‘WASTE OF CONFETTI’ meanwhile, is a beast that sees Myers in a self-reflective mode about her past people-pleasing ways. Arguably the most personal, emotive track on the record, this is a glorious slice of alt-pop that will doubtless be on people’s personal/motivational playlists for years to come.
‘NUMB’ hits as a touching, stark Linkin Park cover with some odd, distracting sounds and groans backing up the main vocals, despite this, I’m sure it will be a welcome addition to fans’ remix and cover collections. ‘OVARIES SPEAK’ is another track that will speak to so many people – an ode to self-love, and self-belief, featuring some positive reinforcement, and a butt-load of 90s classic pop groove.
‘SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH’ sees Myers confront society’s obsession with aesthetics and “looking externally”, with her best vocal performance on the record, and some clever club-ready electronics. The album’s title track ‘TZIA’ is a banger built on industrial energy where the artist speaks to the TZIA spirit and the wider universe, voicing her intention to find creative freedom, and share that vision with the world, for me, this is a sleeper favourite on the album.
‘BLUEBIRD’ is the “softest” turn on this record, and it sees Myers lean back on her exceptional, deep storytelling ability. Indeed, this one is a somber call out to her audience, where she works to inspire and evoke others to find themselves. This one will take fans way back longtime fans back to the beginning, and it will appeal to a whole new generation of people who are looking for that spark of sonic influence. Myers is one of the best songwriters of her generation, and this is the best example of that.
‘SOPHIA (144)’ strikes next, and is a similarly deep track with an awesome alt-hip-hop feature from Nicole Perretti, that speaks directly to the listener, and will definitely get multiple streams in this playlist generation. The final track on offer here is ‘ELEVENELEVEN’ and (as with multiple points on this album) it contains some fantastic instrumentation, from slight drums and string work for a resounding conclusion to a great record that should see Meg rise like a phoenix to the height of the global pop culture consciousness once more with an album with some of the most vibrant energy I’ve heard in a long, long time.
