DIY solo artist Juju descends into deliciously dark territory on ‘Folie À Deux’, a theatrical rock anthem inspired by Todd Phillips’ cinema and the volatile relationship between Joker and Harley Quinn. Named after the psychological term for a shared delusion, the track takes that obsessive, dangerous romance and builds its own shadowy world around it.
A growling synth bass opens proceedings alongside Juju’s vocal, creating an immediate sense of menace before the drums arrive and begin driving the track towards its increasingly heavy chorus. Juju is perfectly cast at its centre, her vocal simultaneously seductive and threatening as the arrangement continues to grow around her. There’s a theatricality that makes the Lady Gaga reference understandable and a hint of PJ Harvey-like darkness, but ‘Folie À Deux’ ultimately sits comfortably in its own realm of dramatic, cinematic rock.
The accompanying video takes that theatrical streak and runs with it. Sporting a suitably badass eyepatch, Juju performs alongside dancers in a smoky club for a mysterious patron before the pair escape hand-in-hand into the night, tearing through the streets and causing mischief along the way. Things eventually descend into outright destruction as Juju trashes her dressing room, matching the song’s increasingly combustible energy. Dark, chaotic and deliciously dramatic, it’s exactly the kind of visual world ‘Folie À Deux’ demands.
