Between catchy alternative pop anthems and the somber, reflective tracks that follow, Suki Waterhouse’s sophomore album, Memoir of a Sparklemuffin, has something for everyone. This album boasts several summary tracks that feel like something straight out of a late nineties/early 2000s chick flick (think Clueless, Legally Blonde, etc.). Songs like OMG, My Fun, and Blackout Drunk are a joy to listen to and never fail to make you want to get up and dance. For fans of more mellow music, this album offers numbers like To Love, a beautifully produced single which uses Waterhouse’s warm vocals to express the deep gratitude of a fulfilling relationship, ending the album on a high note.

Rather interestingly, Memoir of a Sparklemuffin derives its name from an exotic species of Australian jumping spider. The males of this colorful miniature species engage in a flamboyant dance to attract a female mate. If this dance is not up to snuff, however, female sparklemuffins have been known to eat their male counterparts in a savage act of rejection. Waterhouse decided to make it a recurring motif within her latest album as she felt the interaction resonated with her. 

Starting off as a teen model and later entering the acting sphere, Waterhouse is used to the scrutiny that can come with existing in such a vulnerable position within the public eye. In the years before the September 13 release of Memoir of a Sparklemuffin, she had experienced rejections by several record labels who turned her away because of her lack of formal experience in the music industry. Despite being labeled a “Model, Actress, Whatever”, Waterhouse continued to create on her own and eventually saw recognition when her 2017 single Good Looking saw virality on TikTok, years after its release. “You just never know with music, like, what’s going to come back around and what people are going to connect with at a certain time,” Waterhouse remarks in an interview with Billboard News, “It’s very strange and wild,”.

Though it absolutely has its merits, Memoir of a Sparklemuffin is not without its faults. This is more than one forgettable song on the album and it definitely loses steam as it progresses. While the second half is a bit lackluster, the work as a whole is definitely something to be proud of.