Ethel Cain’s upcoming album “Perverts” demands unabashed sincerity from its listeners
By JULIE HUANG – arts@theaggie.org
Within the current landscape of short-form entertainment and social media, many artists release their works with the anticipation — or perhaps even the expectation — that their creations will inspire online trends, internet inside jokes and general social media buzz. In sharp contrast to the self-aware, ironic attitude that seems to reign over the state of art today, Ethel Cain’s upcoming album, “Perverts,” aims to offer timelessness and unapologetic passion — but the full potency of Cain’s work can only be achieved if people are willing to listen.
Cain has established a well-deserved reputation of handling heavy, raw and sensitive themes throughout her discography, which features concepts of intergenerational trauma, religious trauma, domestic abuse and sexual abuse. Her debut studio album, “Preacher’s Daughter,” is a concept album revolving around the tragic life of the character “Ethel Cain” (a separate entity from the artist, who shares the name as her stage name) as she faces domestic abuse at the hands of family and lovers, kidnapping, drugging, prostitution, rape, murder and eventual cannibalization by her murderer.
The horrifying nature and heaviness of these topics necessitate a level of respect and willingness to sit with feelings of disgust and discomfort when interacting with Cain’s music. Obviously, she does not shy away from the grotesque, the macabre and the darkest aspects of humanity — and neither does she attempt to sugarcoat or lighten the gravity of these themes through humor or irony.
Rather than trying to make her work lighter or more palatable to audiences in any way, Cain dives headfirst into unpacking the extent of her character’s circumstances and how she reacts to them, sonically and lyrically forcing listeners to face the tragedy and horror but also humanity present in her songs. Cain’s work may sometimes be viewed as hard to digest, but it is raw and it is passionate, never minimizing or downplaying topics that are hard to discuss, and instead seeing them through genuine eyes and facing them with solemn acceptance.
Although Cain has stated that her sophomore album “Perverts” will not follow fictional Ethel Cain’s story, it seems to promise similar themes as the concepts featured in “Preacher’s Daughter,” especially judging by the lyrics of its lead single “Punish.” However, instead of anticipating its content, which is sure to be thought-provoking and genuine, some fans have chosen to focus on the name of the album, deeming it strange and unsettling due to its connotations as a pejorative term used to describe people whose sexual behavior or preferences are thought of as unnatural or unacceptable. Jokes have been made about how merchandise for this upcoming album cannot be shown in public due to its strange associations and potential judgment from others.
Cain has explained that the album name “Perverts” is meant to refer to the alteration of something from its original course, changing what was intended into something else, something distorted. Ironically, in the wake of fan reception to that meaningful name, it has become clear that the pervasive attitudes and desensitizing qualities of digital culture has had this very effect on how artistic work is viewed and discussed. Creators like Cain feel the fatigue of fighting to protect the authenticity and genuine thought put into their creations when that passion becomes the punchline of a short-lived TikTok joke.
Rather than acknowledging and respecting the fact that topics such as death and sexual abuse must be processed with time and discussed with care, online culture offers fast-paced irony and overused joke formats that allow people to minimize topics that are inherently complex and sensitive for many. Furthermore, the phenomenon of dismissing heavy topics with humorous treatment extends beyond the artistic world and into reactions towards real-world news and events. In the words of Cain herself, “We are in an irony epidemic. There is such a loss of sincerity and everything has to be a joke at all times.”
This dismissive attitude may sometimes feel comforting or simply funny, but when it’s applied to subject matter that involves the genuine emotions and pain of human beings, it can become a callous rejection of those emotions and the chance to connect with the people feeling them. When people embrace an ironic attitude and the perspective that nothing matters enough to take seriously, they are also embracing ignorance and carelessness towards creators who seek to represent those topics as well as the people whose lives are touched by them. In a social landscape where irony reigns supreme, who will receive raw passion and genuine care with an equal amount of sincerity?
Of course, although it has reached a worrying point of prevalence, irony has not entirely subjugated sincerity. Many remain receptive or outright appreciative of creative works that are unashamed of delving into serious topics, demonstrated by those who eagerly anticipate the release of “Perverts” in January. In order to maintain the output of such works, there should always be those who defend the value of a sincere attitude and willingness to engage with topics and themes that may cause them to feel unsettled or uncomfortable. In essence, safeguarding the value of sincerity also safeguards the deeper ways in which people can connect to media, art and other human beings.
Written by: Julie Huang — arts@theaggie.org
