Exciting the comical and the sinister, Emma Jaye's new single "Dumb" dances a fine line of topics and sounds and does it irresistibly so. From its creeping overture to its bomb-heavy bass, the music ensnares and devours you should you let it, and chances are you will let it. Emma is cheeky in this power track, and the accompanying music video is all the fun for it. The themes are worth examining, and the music worth exploring.
Dressed in a unicorn onesie and sporting a Harley Quinn-esque hairstyle, Emma romps to the beat of the song, surrounded by prowling men deep in her spell, lost in her swing. "Dumb" could easily pass as a club track, why with its mighty rhythm and syrup-sticky hooks, it stimulates dance rather quickly, yet the video reveals the song's true alt-pop intentions fueled by alluring melodies, deep, dark beats, and Emma's humorous take on them. As the music video makes clear, Emma is in charge, and she radiates a spirit that allows for all the fun to ensue.
At the heart of "Dumb," there is a powerful message of confidence as Emma explains: "We live in a very strange culture, where people, especially women, are told that they should feel apologetic for feeling totally confident and beautiful. That needs to change, so I wrote a song to try and counteract it." If "Dumb" serves as a preview of Emma Jaye's sonic mosaic of the fun and the moody, then here is an artist ready to dance that fine line all the way to success.
