A Quick Chat with JXCKY

Congrats on the release of “THIRSTY”! What’s the story behind the track — what inspired it?
Thank you! Writing this new project, I definitely knew I wanted to touch on some sensitive themes and feelings that are hardly spoken about in music. One of these feelings is the human “thirst for revenge” when somebody does us wrong. Whether we act on that fantasy or not, I think it’s an intriguing topic because I hardly hear anyone talk or write about it. In my journey, I ended up stitching my wounds with vengeance from pent-up resentment only to find it was only temporary. When it broke, there were consequences I had to face and THIRSTY is my thorough examination of it all.

You’ve alluded to “THIRSTY” being a part of a larger body of work - A BODY FOR AN EYE. Where does this song sit within that bigger picture?
The song THIRSTY is the opening to the project which is why I wanted it to be the lead, comeback single. I’m essentially drawing a large line that leads back to the beginning and I’m dissecting where the rot began in me. Whilst THIRSTY, thankfully, isn’t a direct reflection of who I am today, I see value in unpacking past versions of ourselves and channelling that past energy in a way that challenges us to understand our self-sabotaging tendencies and break free from unhealthy habits.

Is there a particular lyric in ‘THIRSTY’ that still hits you when you hear it back — or felt especially important to write?
The second verse always hits home, especially the lines “yet when he was tweaking no one ever asked if I was fine / only when I pull the trigger are they acting all surprised” followed by the lines with my name in it. That part exposes the weight I’ve carried for years - the expectation to always be the bigger person, to navigate with grace, to know better, do better, be better. Yet when others cross lines with me, hardly anyone in my life gets defensive. The realisation that people only flinch when I bite back stings to this day. I’ve sat with it for so long and still don’t know why.

You went through something incredibly heavy last year, even going missing. How has that experience shaped your return to music?
After releasing my debut EP and having a massive shake-up in my personal life that led to a mental breakdown, I was ready to throw in the towel and call it quits with music. I started to yearn for settling down and living quietly. And for some time, I did. On a life changing two-week holiday visiting family in mainland China, I came to realise that I had a lot left to say that I could only see myself doing through music. I knew if I was to return, it had to be bold, ambitious, loud and meticulously planned. I had to take accountability and be unapologetic whilst protecting this newfound peace.

What’s something people don’t expect about your creative process — especially when making music like “THIRSTY”?
I think some people tend to romanticise the creative process of songwriting as if it’s always going to be some whimsical, effortless burst of inspiration. Sometimes it can be like that. But as Julia Michaels said in an interview / podcast, most times, it’s slow, frustrating and draining. Chiselling away and trying to get it right with precision can really empty you out mentally. As much as I love what dark-pop becomes - the mood, the drama, the power - having been writing it for years, it’s taken a toll. To make it as authentic as possible, I often have to tap into these negative parts of myself and that can be emotionally taxing.

When people look back on this era of your work, what do you hope they see?
I want people to remember the rawness - that nothing about this chapter in my music was polished to please. I’ve always sworn to be brutally honest with my songwriting, even if it costs me. I want them to see how I was willing to lay my name, risk my reputation and display parts of an old version of myself to tell the full story. Even if it hurts, there’s freedom because as they say - the truth shall set you free.