Zig (album)

Zig is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Poppy, released on October 27, 2023. The album was released through Sumerian Records, marking her return to the label after briefly signing with Republic. Produced by Ali Payami, the record marks the artist's return to pop music, and features a more industrial sound than her previous album, Flux (2021).

Background
In a December 2022 interview with Revolver, Poppy revealed that she was working on her fifth studio album. In March 2023, she announced a new single called "Church Outfit", which was released on April 4. The single marked her return to Sumerian Records following a short signing with Republic Records for her fifth EP Stagger (2022). On July 19, 2023, Poppy released the single, "Knockoff", and announced the album, Zig for release on October 27, 2023. Following the announcement, the album was immediately made available for pre-order. The album's tenth track, "Motorbike", was released as its third single on September 12 after being previously leaked online. "Hard" was released as its fourth and final single on October 20, with Poppy having performed it live prior. On December 1, she released a music video for "Flicker", the fifth track on the album.

Recording and composition
Poppy made over 40 songs for Zig, though just 11 made the final tracklist. She primarily worked with Simon Wilcox and Ali Payami, the latter of whom produced every track from the album. The songwriting was organized into four different journals, based on the idea of the song. Poppy said of the album's conception, "I'll come in with a skeleton and we piece it together. I feel the need to make sense of my own code, in an effort to understand myself." She also performed the guitar and bass on the album.

The album has been labeled as dark pop, industrial-pop, electropop, alternative pop, nu metal, industrial metal, and "dark" electronica. "Linger" has been described by Alternative Press to be a 'goth ballad' song, comparing it to Britney Spears' 2004 single "Everytime". Sputnikmusic described the tenth track "Motorbike" as "sheer bubblegum pop", whereas Sumerian Records describes the final track on the album, "Prove It", as switching between "unfettered and vulnerable" to "double speed, fuzzed-up, distorted screaming."

Critical reception
Zig received generally positive reviews. On Metacritic, the album received a score of 68 out of 100 based on five reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Critics were positive towards the album's focus on electronic music and Poppy's return to pop, whereas criticism was aimed at the album's predictability and lack of heavier sounds that were present on Poppy's previous records. In a positive review, Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic called Zig Poppy's most "mature work to date" stating, "she lays the viscera on the table, opening herself up like never before and showcasing her most human moments yet." Ali Shutler of Dork wrote, "There's rage, empowerment, peace and giddy joy as Poppy once again shakes things up." Tiana Speter of Hysteria mag was positive towards the album stating, "For fans of Poppy's 2020 savagery I Disagree or 2021's alt-rock pastiche Flux, Zig is certainly an entirely new era for the chameleonic artist...the electro-dance elements fused to Zigs spine proves that Poppy can write a pop song or dazzle with vulnerability like nobody's business – and still scream like a prismatic banshee should the occasion call for it." Luke Morton writing for Kerrang! praised the sound of the album stating, "Such polished production courses through veins of Zig...as the genre-muddling star incorporates elements of industrial, metal and jungle amongst the record's heavier junctures."

Since Zig is, for the most part, a departure from rock and metal sound of her recent work, Lisa Wright of The Forty-Five felt that the album was "a little unexciting" when including how Poppy "left jaws on the floor with her initial metal reinvention". Vicky Greer of Louder Sound had a similar opinion stating, "Zig ushers in Poppy's 'dark-pop' phase, but the thrilling extremity of her best work is missed here." Danni Leivers writing for Metal Hammer was positive about the album's sound stating, "There's a lot of ground covered here, but Zig never feels random or messy. Poppy...views [her] albums as 'timestamps' of her life and for that reason, her genre-bending feels less like an artist following trends...more an avid consumer of art, exploring her influences and making music by her own rules. Steve Erickson of Slant was less positive and feeling that on Zig, "Poppy has become what she's successfully evaded up to this point: predictable." Sputnikmusic had a similar conclusion to that of The Forty-Five and Louder Sound stating, "Poppy seems to be restrained here – as if something is holding her back from embracing her typically wild and unconventional whims." Kayla Hamilton of Wall of Sound was more positive towards the album stating, "Poppy is growing musically, but she is also growing personally. Zig is proof of that."

Promotion
In 2023, Poppy and Pvris co-headlined the Godless/Goddess Tour.

In September 2023, Poppy announced that she would be embarking on the 2024 Zig Tour to support the album, revealing UK dates for February. On the same day, she was revealed as a support act for the Bad Omens tour Concrete Forever. In November, Poppy was announced as a support act for Thirty Seconds to Mars' 2024 world tour in the United States.

Personnel

 * Poppy – vocals, guitars, bass
 * Ali Payami – production
 * Sterling Sound – mastering
 * Zakk Cervini – mixing
 * Nik Trekov – mixing assistance
 * Ian Kirkpatrick – co-production (track 2)