‘…both a fantastic send-off for the NEONshe project, and a warm welcome for Jazmine Fayewood…’
Since 2021, Vinyl Fantasy Reviews has kept close tabs on NEONshe, when the English-born and, as of then, Japanese-based artist released her sophomore single, ‘Wrong Boys Attention’. Two albums, a multitude of singles, a handful of features, and a collection of lifestyle essays later, NEONshe’s DIY take on glittery bubblegum pop remains a delight to the ears.
It seems, however, the candle that burns bright burns fast, and this year sees the NEONshe music project coming to a close. The woman behind the rainbows, Jazmine Fayewood, was in the midst of her third record when her life was upended by heartbreak. Forced to relocate from Japan to the English county of Gloucestershire, Fayewood took this as an opportunity for transformation, and the beginning of a brand new era in her life. Nevertheless, she couldn’t depart from the musical moniker she had become so attached to without gifting the world one final album; ‘The Moon Knows All My Secrets’ is a farewell for NEONshe, and a real introduction to the world of Jazmine Fayewood.
The record opens up with a burst of defiant optimism with the absolute pop banger that is ‘It Girl’. The chorus hook is wickedly catchy, helped even further by a hypnotic yet somewhat stripped back instrumental that thumps with danceable energy. ‘Block and Bless’ continues to build on the record’s theme of protecting your peace, with NEONshe keeping her uplifting and bubbly tone, whilst reminding the listener that kindness should never be mistaken for weakness.
‘Dopamine’ offers a surprising contrast between sparkling bubblegum beats and genuinely vulnerable lyricism, as NEONshe reckons with her ADHD, and the misconceptions that surround the disorder. ‘Pity Party’ serves as another bittersweet banger, with NEONshe serving up bold, soaring choruses, spoken word passages, and confessional lyrics that go to show even the most optimistic can be worn weary by the world. The climactic key change weaves in some wonderful utilised gospel-styled harmonies to give some real impact.
The album’s sequencing is wonderfully done, with ‘Brown Eyes’ serving as the turning point between being the ‘It Girl’, and being forced to reckon with the life you had fallen in love with being cruelly ripped away. Despite the pop polish the record presents with, there is a real emotional weight, as NEONshe reconciles love and betrayal. The record from here out serves perhaps as a purposeful deconstruction of the NEONshe character, grappling with mental health on ‘Dopamine’ and delivering a tender ballad of grief on ‘Forever Hero’, and unveiling the woman behind the mask; the instrumentals are firmly NEONshe, but the lyricism increasingly becomes that of Jazmine Fayewood.
It is undoubtedly, however, the record’s closing number that serves as the highlight of not simply this album, but NEONshe’s entire musical career thus far. ‘Who Am I?‘ is a heartbreaking yet wonderfully cathartic climax to not just the album, but NEONshe as a musical project, as Fayewood strives to move on through life and transform into something even more spectacular, yet admits that the sorrow from leaving this segment of her life behind will take time to remedy. Sumptuous yet tender instrumentals gently sway beneath a vocal performance that does not feature vocal acrobatics or fancy tricks, but simply Fayewood in the spotlight, vulnerable and confessional It’s a moment of real beauty that is certain to speak to those whom have experienced moments of transition in their life; where things end and beginnings start is often never clear, and the weight of sorrow and confusion is human.
This is more than simply a farewell record for NEONshe, but a genuine moment of transformation. There is a real sorrow threaded throughout this record, as Fayewood grapples with heartbreak, grief, mental health, and the monumental life changes that have forced her to return to the UK; the NEONshe name no longer suits the woman she has become, and the life she is now living. Yet despite this, there remains a real sense of hope that bookends this listening experience; it’s a wonderfully bittersweet experience that is delivered with immense heart, and is striking in its contrast. Even amidst the sugar-rush instrumentals, Fayewood offers genuinely touching and sometimes painful performances that are deeply compelling.
‘The Moon Knows All My Secrets‘ is both a fantastic send-off for the NEONshe project, and a warm welcome for Jazmine Fayewood. Where she heads from here is anyone’s guess, but even with the pink wig now in the wardrobe, it’s hard to imagine it will be any less colourful, fantastical, and endlessly enchanting. Long live the ‘It Girl‘.
RATING: 80/100 – Very Good
For Fans Of: Robyn, Carly Rae Jepsen, Topiary Creatures,
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