Remi Wolf’s debut album Juno creates a candy-coated alternate reality of pop exuberance

Remi Wolf caught the attention of TikTokers last year with the breakout single “Photo ID” from her 2020 EP, I’m Allergic To Dogs!, a delightful slice of bedroom pop laced with retro-soul groove, which racked up more than two hundred thousand uses on the site. Then, she worked with Beck, Hot Chip, Little Dragon, Dominic Fike, Porches, Tune-Yards, and more for a remix version of her first EP. And now—seven years after the American Idol audition that constituted the then-teenager’s first real public performance—the Palo Alto singer presents her daring debut album, giving listeners a shot of serotonin missing in much of the pop landscape during this “sad girl autumn.”

On Juno, Wolf presents a slate of electro-pop songs, each with their own vivacious life. From the get-go, the artist grabs her audience by the proverbial throat, thanks to the intensity of “Liquor Store,” a mind-melting venture in psych pop that touches on her struggles with sobriety. But all throughout the album, she stretches the limits of pop, integrating funk, hip-hop, and psychedelia all into one surrealist work. With Juno, Wolf enters her own lane on the pop highway, cruising past cartoonish landscapes.

Juno channels the playfulness of early 2010s Matt & Kim, incorporating sounds similar to M.I.A. as well as more contemporary influences like Still Woozy and Tierra Whack. Wolf’s music feels familiar, but still profoundly original. It’s goofy and unabashedly playful, with blunt lyrics about sex and body. Each song uncovers a new colorful layer, like sucking on a jawbreaker: In between songs about Anthony Kiedis and sexually ambitious partners, Wolf sings about days when showers are the only thing bringing life to your body, and where everything feels like a kick in the teeth.

The signature lively visuals from her music videos translate smoothly into the listening experience. Experiencing the album is akin what existing in the title sequence to Broad City must feel like—as if you’re tumbling down a technicolor tunnel only to land in a world straight from a children’s cartoon. The layering of Wolf’s vocals reaches a fever pitch at times, nearly jumping through speakers. Her references are scattershot but finely attuned to the lyrics, dropping mentions of Chuck E. Cheese, Euphoria, and Cruella de Vil, all of which emphasize the child-like feel.

Each track is sensationally groovy, delivering a new edge in the multifaceted world of Juno. Her voice takes on many shapes, from delicate “oohs” and “ahhs” to more assertive rap stylings, and sometimes just straight-up kooky (like the baby voice in the outro to “Quiet On Set”). In some moments, the synths come through like a wall of static, while in others they chime in like endearing quips. With so much going on, Wolf manages to keep things from feeling too claustrophobic, giving the listeners room to get a little lost in the sound.

Listeners may find themselves conjuring up some fantastical impressions sparked by Remi Wolf’s latest: emptying out a can of silly string on a subway, tripping while meandering through a bodega, or attending a dance party somewhere far down a rabbit hole. Even when Wolf goes low lyrically, Juno feels like a free flowing, joyous ride in a tunnel of love.