“I want to build entire worlds for people to dissect,” says Black Polish, a rising alternative star known for their cinematic anthems of angst and rebellion. Since age 14, the Los Angeles-based artist Jayden “Jay” Binnix has found a listenership of fellow misfits through their songs that delve deep on themes of mental health and identity. After breaking out with their 2020 debut single “Sophie” – currently with over two million streams – they’ve established their own style of emotionally piercing songwriting and dynamic sound, which blends alternative, electronic, and pop music. Now, Jay prepares to expand the Black Polish universe with their sophomore album, Yuna, due September 5 via BMG.
The daring concept album — a work of fiction and fantasy — centers around Jay’s alter-ego Yuna, a man-eating succubus who allows Jay to explore their most depraved instincts and hyperfeminine abilities to seduce. Throughout, the Jay character is gradually possessed by Yuna as they grapple with the anguish and pleasure of being inhabited by such a powerful demon. As the alternative project grows more dark and electronic-inspired, it symbolizes Yuna’s presence seeping her way into Jay and fully taking over. The immersive story ultimately suggests that some aspects of ourselves can never be fully banished, but must be understood and accepted. It asks: can you learn to forgive the darkest parts of yourself?
Jay explains: “My therapist said one day, ‘In order to love yourself fully, you have to love and forgive all the things you want to hide.’ This album is essentially a love letter to that side of Jay; the obsessive, the manipulative, the aggressive, the dirty, the lustful, and the recklessness that they desperately try not to be. Of course, no one wants to be that person, but you have to forgive yourself to grow into the next version of yourself.”
Yuna digs deep into the psyche of the Jay character, as they present playful, dark-sided lyrics and ever-shifting sonics to relay the album’s intricate narrative. The LP kicks off with the indie rock single “BE WITH YOU,” which sees Jay trying to repress feelings for a girl they just met, before the Yuna alter-ego starts to take over their body on “LUSH” – an alt-metal track that showcases Jay’s internal battle between good and evil.
They use a full range of sounds to illustrate the epic story, as on the hauntingly beautiful ukulele-featuring song “YUNA’S LULLABYE.” Meanwhile, the dark R&B and electronic pop track “ABOUT YOU/SUNRISE,” tells the two-part tale of an intoxicating evening and the regretful morning afterwards. “I’m very focused on the visuals in my lyrics, the tone of my voice when I’m singing,” Jay explains. “I’m trying to paint a whole story in three minutes.”
Though evil, Yuna also becomes a source of power, like when she appears through Jay on the braggadocious, sadistic “BONDAGE,” which features the lyrics: “Keep you locked inside my dungeon, stay close/Cuddle with blood and guts and gore.” Jay explains: “I am the most humble, forgiving and selfless person in relationships. I give so much, I get taken advantage of, and I always feel powerless. But seeing myself as a villain, it’s like, Oh, I’m a badass.”
