Ten years ago, a young Dorian Electra made their musical debut. Oddly enough, it was a cringe-inducing love song to diabolical economist Friedrich Hayek. Subject-matter aside, it showcased Electra’s prodigious potential for making pop music. In 2019, Electra released their first full-length, “Flamboyant”. “Flamboyant” showed the mastery with which Electra had honed their craft and cultivated their stage persona. The album was overflowing with wonderfully off-putting electro-pop bangers that took dead aim at heteronormativity and toxic masculinity. 2020’s “My Agenda” builds brilliantly on “Flamboyant”, moving in a heavier, harder direction, but maintaining a devilish sense of humor throughout.
The club-pleasing pop anthems have given way to more aggressive yet nuanced compositions. Elements of metal and hardcore punk seamlessly intertwine with dubstep flourishes and happy hardcore as Electra again sets their sights on male fragility and misogyny, with a particular focus on “incels” this time around.
The Incel theme is most apparent in the back-to-back “Gentleman” and “M’Lady”. These two songs are most similar to what might have been found on “Flamboyant”. They are sung from the perspective of a deranged Incel, obsessed with simultaneously objectifying and marginalizing women. It’s as amusing as it is disturbing and the wonderfully obnoxious saxophone beat will stick in your head for days.
The rest of the album unfolds through the lens of a homophobic/fragile/conspiracy-addled Incel. The Nine Inch Nails-inspired grind is a perfect sonic companion for the album’s alarming narrative. Tracks like “Ram It Down”, “Iron Fist”, and “Monk Mode” have a frantic metallic edge underneath an electronic avalanche.
The lead single, “Sorry Bro (I Love You)” is a hilarious and infectious jab at “no homo” macho culture. It’s sure to make homophobes squirm and it’s a perfect example of why Dorian Electra is such an important figure in the musical landscape right now. Sure, Electra is standing on the shoulders of other subversive stars such as Prince, Trent Reznor, Jello Biafra, Lady Gaga, Grimes, and yes, even “Weird Al”, but the end result is something wholly unique. While these songs more than stand up on their own, the corresponding music videos (all curated and crafted in part by Electra themselves) are an invaluable part of the project as well (do yourself a favor and watch the “Gentleman/M’Lady” video).
Other artists, like Brooke Candy or Ashnikko, might be mining a similar vein of “zoomer shock pop” but no one else has the wit or the vision of Dorian Electra.