Paris-based singer, songwriter, and performer Sam Quealy returns with her sophomore album JAWBREAKER, a bold and intoxicating evolution of her 2023 debut Blonde Venus. Sweet on the surface and razor-sharp underneath, JAWBREAKER moves between lust and loneliness, chaos and healing, power and vulnerability, capturing the emotional whiplash of modern life through high-energy dance-pop.
Quealy describes her sound as “electro-pop and techno-pop trash with badass, don’t-give-a-fuck energy… the kind of music you drink too much to and stumble home with your friends to, but regret nothing because it was all worth it for one last dance.” Drawing on heavy ’80s and ’90s influence with touches of disco, new wave, gabber, and Eurodance, JAWBREAKER blends nostalgia with sharp modern edge.
Written after completing Blonde Venus, the album marks a clear creative shift. Quealy leaned deeper into disco influences, lush string arrangements, and euphoric, danceable melodies, fusing the magic of the past with the urgency of the present. The record was created in Paris with frequent collaborator Marlon Magnée of La Femme, at their home studio and at the legendary Studio Ferber.
At its core, JAWBREAKER is an emotional ride through love, heartbreak, self-discovery, freedom, and survival. It feels like a night out, a breakdown, a breakthrough, and a goodbye all rolled into one. You dance, you cry, you scream, and you keep going.
Opening with “LONDONTOWN”, a nostalgic anthem of escape and longing, Quealy traces childhood dreams and adult yearning for connection and a better life. From there, the album shifts between light and dark: the hopeful glow of “STARLIGHT”, the intoxicating vulnerability of “SAY MY NAME” and the chaotic romantic pull of “LOVE LASSO”.
Lead single “GIRLS NIGHT” delivers pure hedonistic joy, dressing up, dancing till dawn, and living for the chaos, while “PUSSY POWER” flips the switch into fierce, unapologetic self-ownership. “FLYING SOLO” is a no-nonsense breakup anthem about independence and self-worth, the surreal horror of “STRINGS OF TERROR” was inspired by Hitchcock and Tim Burton, with haunting violins and a dark dance with death.
The venomous title track “JAWBREAKER” centers on power, poison lips, and leaving fake friends behind, before the album softens into the dreamy companionship of “BY MY SIDE”. Closing track “LOVE FONTAINE” is the rawest and most sincere moment on the record, written on omnichord as a gentle promise of rest, healing and renewal.
Quealy calls JAWBREAKER the work she is most proud of so far. Where her debut album was about discovering her sound, this record is about discovering what she wants to say.
A multidimensional creative force, Quealy also shapes the album’s visual world. The music videos feature cinematic, surreal imagery including motorcycle chases, gothic romance, and confrontational glamour. Her live performances merge choreography, fashion, and performance art, reflecting her background in ballet, cabaret, vogue dance, and showgirl culture.
Born in a beach town near Sydney and now based in Paris, Sam Quealy stands at the intersection of pop spectacle and underground club culture. Influenced by artists such as Charli XCX, Peaches, Uffie, Slayyyter, Madonna, and Die Antwoord, she continues to carve a singular lane defined by hyper-femininity, raw honesty, and fearless theatricality.
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