Empara Mi – Monsters & Masochists
Empara Mi is stepping into the finale of her album, Monsters & Masochists.
A body of work that is more than just an album, it is carefully carved chapters of a much deeper narrative – a journey through a path of sadness, anger, self-destruction, acceptance and everything in between. The visionary artist sees music not just as sound, but as an all-encompassing sensory experience. And her new conceptual album is exactly that. Shifting effortlessly between styles, from soul-stirring ballads to electrifyingly raw compositions, she exhibits her musical and narrative voice as one of the most unique of her generation.
As much a visual artist as a musician, Monsters & Masochists has unfolded in tidal waves, with ‘I Can’t’ amassing over 1 Million YouTube views and over 1.1 million TikTok views in its first month and ‘Masochist’ succeeding it with over 500k YouTube views in its first two weeks.
And along with honours from music video awards in Berlin, LA and London, ‘I Can’t’ was the Best Music Video winner at the Cannes World Film Festival. The single also debuted at #64 on the UK iTunes Chart, and was named BBC Introducing Track of the Week. And, overall, Empara Mi has earned 12M TikTok views, 7.2K videos using her tracks, and 5.63M views on Youtube.
If the singles were the prologue, the yet-unheard songs reveal where the story truly unfolds, weaving together the narratives that make the project a whole. They provide dimension, proving that Empara Mi hasn’t just released a collection of songs, but a story that is meant to be told from beginning to end. Monsters & Masochists lays a map of an emotional journey – one that narrates the tale of years of non-linear healing. “Monsters & Masochists is the most honest thing I’ve ever made. It’s an album about transformation, the kind that only happens when you’ve lived through both heaven and hell. I wrote it through the best and worst moments of my life, trying to make sense of all the chaos, and somewhere along the way it turned into this strange mix of autobiography and experimentation”, she says, “And honestly, my favourite songs aren’t even the singles. After five years in the making, it finally feels like the beginning”.
The storytelling moulds itself through an unconventionally chronological narrative of emotions. Tracks such as ‘Cocaine Cassonova’ help to unveil the piercing vulnerability of the album. With its hauntingly dissonant use of piano and melancholically rich vocals, the song lends itself to a story about maturity and finally finding yourself through the fog of manipulation. Whereas intoxicatingly dark pieces like ‘I Lied’ highlight the empowerment of regaining control. Lyrics, such as “After I’m done with you I’m / Taking you out for a drive / Dead of the night / You could get buried alive”, paired with the pulsing baselines and shadowy synths provide a complete binary to the more gut wrenchingly vulnerable tracks throughout the album.
Even with their contrasting moods, ‘Shotgun’ and ‘Sucker For Love’ help to drive Monsters & Masochists energy to its peak. Their themes of re-discovering self-worth and being consumed by desire (retrospectively) and lyrics, like “Your wicked ways / Pull me back in / So I guess I like the taste / Of poison on your skin”, set these tracks up to be fan favourites. In contrast to this, ‘Hurt Like Me’ is a hidden anthem. Veiled behind a beginning of tenderly fragile vocals and ballad-like intimacy, the song gradually explodes into a powerhouse of commanding strength. This crescendo slowly unravels just how much of a musical powerhouse she truly is.
To complete the album, Empara Mi leaves us with ‘Dragged Me Back To Hell’ – wrapping up the record like a gift sealed with a black velvet bow. This finale is unlike anything else heard previously. Its blissful blend of RAYE and Adele makes for a perfect Bond-style finale. The jazz-like piano and smokey vocals encapsulate the end of her healing journey. The independence of the piece demonstrates how she has survived the ebbs and flows of emotional healing.
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