Suki Waterhouse released her sophomore album, Memoir of a Sparklemuffin, on September 13th, 2024. Waterhouse is a 32-year-old English singer-songwriter, actress, and model. She has one previous album, I Can’t Let Go, which came out in May 2022. I absolutely love her new album, so I will be analyzing and reviewing it, as well as interviewing other people on what they think of it!
To start, this album has a unique name! So, what does it mean? Memoir of a Sparklemuffin is not your typical, everyday title. Waterhouse said she stumbled upon the Maratus Jactatus A.K.A the Sparklemuffin Spider while scrolling on the internet, and she related to it “because of how it represents metamorphosis — albeit in a less conventionally beautiful way than a butterfly might.” (Washington Square News). The spider is very colorful, and it does a special dance when mating. Memoir of a Sparklemuffin is mostly dreamy and slow indie pop, with some more upbeat indie rock songs, and it focuses on relationships, self-reflection, raw feelings, and artistry.
First, I interviewed Ada Rutman, a fellow Suki Waterhouse fan, who has already heard the album.
What do you think of Memoir of a Sparklemuffin?
“I think it’s really good and the album is super cohesive. I love the vibes and there are no skips.”
Which song is your favorite/which one would you recommend for a first-time listener?
“Oh my gosh, how I am even supposed to answer that! As of this morning, my favorite is ‘Big Love’. For a first-time listener, probably ‘O.M.G.’”
What does this album make you feel/think of?
“It’s very kind of like midnight vibes, partially from the album cover, partially from the songs. It’s just very chill and when you listen to it, you’re like ‘Damn, I have good music taste.’”
Next, I interviewed Amyanne Hartstone, who has never heard the album before. Instead of forcing her to listen to the entire album, I choose three songs to play for her from the album that I think really encapsulates its energy and versatility. The songs I choose were “O.M.G”, “To Love”, and “Lawsuit”.
What do you think of the songs you listened to from Memoir of a Sparklemuffin?
“I really liked them; I’ve listened to her before but not that album.”
Of the three songs, which is your favorite?
“Definitely ‘To Love’. They’re all really good, but I liked the musical background in that one especially.”
Would you listen to these songs or the album again on your own time?
“100%, I was literally going to add ‘To Love’ to my playlist next period.”
Sparklemuffin is a 53-minute, 18-track album. The tracks in order are:
- Gateway Drug
- Supersad
- Blackout Drunk
- Faded
- Nonchalant
- My Fun
- Model, Actress, Whatever
- To Get You
- Lullaby
- Big Love
- Lawsuit
- OMG
- Think Twice
- Could’ve Been A Star
- Legendary
- Everybody Breaks Up Anyway
- Helpless
- To Love
To Love was the first single released prior to the album, released all the way back in 2023. Then in 2024, Suki released “OMG” accompanied with a music video, and then “My Fun” and “Faded” in April, in the EP titled My Fun. “Supersad” and “Blackout Drunk”, were also all released as singles; “Supersad” came with a music video, and “Blackout Drunk” was accompanied by an animated visualizer. My personal favorites off the album are “Nonchalant”, “Faded”, “Gateway Drug”, “Could’ve Been A Star”, and “Blackout Drunk”. Elements of those songs I really enjoy are the soft-melodic components of the music and lyrics, how openly emotional and self-aware the themes are, and the aesthetic of the album in general. In my opinion, Sparklemuffin is similar to the music of Alvvays, Lorde, or Mazzy Star, who are all popular artists that appeal to a wide audience. Suki Waterhouse is a talented artist who deserves more recognition for her awesome music.
Thank you for reading, and please consider giving Memoir of a Sparklemuffin a listen! You won’t regret it!
