ALBUM REVIEW: Nymph

Shygirl - Nymph

What’s so shy about Shygirl? This is, after all, the same person who proudly boasted about how she “won’t ever meet your mum, but your daddy’s on the phone” and about needing a “big dick boy” to satisfy her needs (see: 2020’s “FREAK” and 2021’s “BDE”). So, Shygirl’s name is a bit of a misnomer. Or is it a misdirect?

On the covers of both 2020’s ALIAS EP and her recently-released debut album Nymph, Shygirl’s face is obscured: on the former, the UK singer and rapper peers through a taut mask of skin with deep magenta lips. On the latter, she’s blurry, peeking over a light blue puffer coat.

You can’t quite make her out in either case—but you get the sense that she’s watching you. It’s not shyness that keeps her at a distance. She’s just getting ready to pounce.

Since she began releasing music in 2016, Shygirl has dropped two stellar EPs, collaborated with electronic giants such as Arca, FKA Twigs and the late SOPHIE, and even landed a spot on Lady Gaga’s Dawn of Chromatica remix album. Needless to say, a full-length project was due to emerge from the buzz.

Nymph picks up where the riotous ALIAS left off, delivering many of the distorted club bangers that established Shygirl as the dirty-talking rapstress of the electronic pop scene. But on Nymph, Shygirl also dials it back, singing with unexpected softness.

Album opener “Woe” establishes this dichotomy immediately. In the song’s first half, Shygirl laments over an eerie, atmospheric beat. “When will you see it from my side? I can have it all, but I’m never satisfied,” she sings.

Quickly, though, she’s interrupted by a distorted, screeching switch-up that sounds like a clock rewinding. It’s disorienting for a moment, but soon enough, Shygirl returns, drops her voice to a low growl and spits a biting rap verse. These are the two sides of the album: the alluring nymph, and the shameless nympho.

Bangers like the Arca-produced “Come For Me” and dancefloor-ready “Poison” can sit snugly on the pregame playlist next to Shygirl’s past highlights. “Come For Me” is a particular standout—Arca turns Shygirl’s distinct voice into an instrument itself, slathered in glitchy effects and percussive among staggering beats.

Although lead single “Firefly” was her first venture into a lighter sound, album cut “Heaven” is the best representation of Shygirl’s tender side. “Boy, you’re heaven / Won’t you let me in? / Please ignore all the things I did / If loving you is a sin / I just wanna make it up to you,” she sings. “Heaven” is Shygirl’s first real love song, and earnestness looks good on her.

Shygirl’s sense of humor pokes through on tracks “Nike” and “Coochie (a bedtime story),” to mixed effect. While the braggadocious “Nike” stands out for its minimalist beat and cheeky lyrics (“Big snack, Big Mac, hit ‘em with the cardiac”), “Coochie” comes off stale and gimmicky.

Left-wing pop figures such as Caroline Polachek, Mura Masa, BloodPop and Danny L Harle make appearances across the tracklist, but longtime collaborator Sega Bodega handles the heft of production. Shygirl and Bodega’s musical chemistry is palpable, and years of working together allow them to push each other to exciting new heights.

Nymph’s biggest pitfall is also part of its promise. At only 33 minutes long, the album clocks in at only 13 minutes longer than ALIAS but is notably more versatile. Nymph is proof that Shygirl’s sound can work longform, and its energetic peaks and valleys would’ve been enough to keep listeners engaged for an even longer runtime.

Despite Nymph’s mood-hopping, the album ultimately comes together as a cohesive portrait of Shygirl’s talents and persona. It’s an impressive display not only of her prowess—we already knew about that—but also her vulnerability. Freaks have feelings too.

- F.C.

Recommended tracks: “Woe,” “Come For Me,” “Heaven,” “Nike”
RIYL: Arca, Charli XCX, FKA Twigs, PinkPantheress
FCC: Explicit—Track 1 ‘Woe,” Track 3 “Shlut,” Track 6 “Coochie (a bedtime story),”  Track 8 “Nike,” Track 11 “Missin U”