Sex Hysteria
Man, this album sure does get people worked up. From the video responses to her 1965 music video calling it the worst song of the year to the SJW podcasters calling out Murph for not pretending to be black, Sex Hysteria has put Jessie Murph in the spotlight - and not in a good way.
Before proceeding, let’s review the facts:
First, Jessie Murph is only recently 21 years old. Second, she is a traumatized young woman who is working through her personal turmoil in the public eye. She severely oversexualizes herself (surely as a way to cope with her past) and tries to act older than she is. Third, she is undeniably vocally talented. At the same time, she is never going to be the top new artist - her sound is too niche, her persona too raunchy. Her unique sound will limit her reach, but will hit home for those who are similair to her, or simply like her sub-genre. Fourth, she is not a country artist. Despite singing with an accent, she is a pop singer (with heavy hip-hop influences).
All of the above is why I wasn’t shocked by Sex Hysteria. Tragically bad at some points? Certainly. Authentically Jessie? Also yes. This is what I found to be the silver lining of the album. It sounded like something new - because it sounded like Murph. Not polished, not sophisticated, but unique. I see it as imperative to at least give some credit to a young artist for trying to do their own thing. The not-so-gracefully genre-mixed record is entertaining, if nothing more. It really does feel like a collection of singles, rather than something terribly coherent. Because of how much the tracks vary, it is perhaps best to examine the tracks individually:
Gucci Mane: I like the melody on this track. The cinematic sound laced with the rap verses is unique. The repetitive “I don’t wanna talk about it” is an interesting way to start a record where she… well, talks about it. But I appreciate her honesty around not wanting to open up about her past and then seeing her disregard that discomfort and just do it. I also love the lyric “So now I’m 20 and I’m trying to figure out what the hell to do with love and what the hell to do without.”
1965: Pretty damn atrocious. I understand the vision and even the feeling she is trying to capture but, girl, this one needed to stay in the vault. The lyric-tempo mismatching hurts my brain and the writing is out-of-touch. “Fuck, and I guess movies didn’t exist. Maybe they did, I’m not sure about that timeline.” Girl? Come on now. Oh, and don’t get me started on “I might get a little slap-slap, but you wouldn’t hit me on Snapchat.” I know everyone processes trauma differently, but I reallllyyy don’t want to hear you romanticize being hit when your momma was a victim.
Couldn’t Be Worse: The electric guitar mixed with the drums on this track make for a charged, cinematic song. The drop is rather good, though I don’t find the writing particularly interesting or sophisticated.
A Little Too Drunk: Again, a very vintage cinematic sound. I don’t mind the writing on this track, but the vocals are just hard to listen to. It seems Murph embraced her scratchy-throaty sound a bit too much here. The vocal runs appeared a bit ambitious to me.
Bad As The Rest: This ballad style works much better than that on A Little Too Drunk. The vocals, instrumentals, and writing on this track help establish it as one of the best on the records. It is layered and emotional. It is not rushed. The drums stand out as a highlight.
Touch Me Like A Gangster: One of the sonically best songs on the album. The tempo changes and various instrumental elements (violin, drums, claps, piano, choir) make it feel like a wild ride, especially when taken into account with the lyrics (which are admittedly fun).
Heroin: “There’s a violence in the way I long for you. And its a war the way you love me like you do.” A very good ballad for the twisted, toxic, dysfunctional relationships we may find ourselves in. Captures the feeling of being truly addicted to someone. Is it a choice?
I Like How I Look: A favorite on the record. The soft-spoken choruses and atmospheric sound serves as a stormy yet calmer interlude in between Murph’s intense rapping or bold ballads. A sexy song, good for getting ready.
Ain’t But A Thing: One of the saddest songs of the year. Those guitar strings are just brutal. Combined with her broken vocals and songwriting, this song is perfect for feeling sorry for oneself - but not enough to stop going back to them.
The Man That Came Back: A good premise for a song. I appreciate how Murph sings about this experience without being too literal. The piano backdrop keeps the song feeling poetic, rather than too much of a storytime.
Sex Hysteria: A very unique song. No one really raps like Jessie Murph does. Again, I think the raps woven into the cinematic sound works rather well. That being said, the writing here is not particularly impressive.
Donuts: I just can not imagine anyone listening to this song in 2025. Its really not a bad song, it just feels like the kind of thing we might have stopped making in the early 2010’s. I like the Gucci Feature, and I think Murph’s singing voice can be paired really well with rappers.
Blue Strips: It took a while to grow on me. Some of the lyrics are repetitive which can bother me at times, but overall, the track is undeniably catchy. The writing is rather entertaining.
Best Behavior: Again, the angry, atmospheric sound was well-placed here. Moreover, Lil Baby felt like an appropriate feature. His deep, raspy voice suits the sultry feel of the song.
Ur Bill Is Big As Fuck: You can say whatever you want to about this final track, but you can’t say that its not entertaining. I was gagged when listening for the first time. Have I come back to listen to many times since? No. But is it a truly badass way to wrap up the record? Hell yes. I don’t always love the slow-burn, sad, mellow, retrospective ending track that bookmarks the majority of albums. I thought the abrupt ending was a great touch to this record (not to mention Murph’s impressive rapping here).
