Julia Wolf - PRESSURE
- Samuel Stevens
- May 25
- 3 min read
On PRESSURE, her daring and emotionally raw sophomore album, which was released on May 23, 2025, Julia Wolf solidifies her place as one of the most honest voices in modern alt-pop. While her 2023 debut, Good Thing We Stayed, introduced us to a fiercely independent, deeply introspective songwriter, PRESSURE is a defiant act of emotional reclamation—the sound of someone who has stared down self-doubt, industry expectations, and personal ghosts, and decided to tell the truth anyway. Where her debut occasionally leaned into glossy pop minimalism, PRESSURE embraces sonic variety and depth, which sees Wolf intertwine the subtlety of her pop roots with everything from hyper-pop, emo, pop punk, and the chaotic realm of both fast-paced and slower chugged metalcore riffs.
From the very first track, "Kill You Off," Wolf sets the tone: searing vulnerability couched in vivid storytelling. This isn’t shock for the sake of it—when she imagines travelling three thousand miles to kill the person responsible for childhood trauma, it’s not a revenge fantasy but a metaphor for the unshakable grip of early betrayal. The religious imagery that flickers in the background (“Jesus heals, He saves”) only sharpens the contrast between what should have been safe and what actually was.
Much of PRESSURE wrestles with duality: admiration versus envy, love versus fear, strength versus fragility. On "Pearl," Wolf tears into the thin line between inspiration and imitation, crafting a biting anthem for any artist who’s watched their originality mimicked by those too insecure to blaze their own trail. That honesty is softened by the emotional ache of "Fingernails" and "Loser," two of the album’s most heart-wrenching moments. On the latter, her voice trembles as she confesses, “chugging NyQuil” just to escape the pain of feeling unworthy of love. It's a gut punch that lingers long after the last note.
But PRESSURE isn’t just pain—it’s also power. "FYP" is a highlight, pairing Wolf’s signature dry wit with a triumphant, self-aware swagger. She details the journey from bedroom freestyles to TikTok fame, taking pride in how far she’s come even as she acknowledges the burnout and jealousy that still gnaw at her confidence. It’s a perfect representation of the album’s thesis: success doesn’t silence your inner critic, but maybe it teaches you to speak over her. "Limewire" blends airy emo guitars with an indie rock heart, and "Girls" blends the same emo guitars with a more Midwest pop-punk/emo blend. Whereas "Jennifer’s Body" brings in darker, more cinematic production, which is fitting, given its inspiration from the 2009 cult horror film of the same name. On "Jennifer's Body," Wolf uses pop culture not as a gimmick but as a vehicle for deeper emotion, capturing the agonizing insecurity of watching someone else effortlessly steal the spotlight, even when you're the one in the room being loved.
The back half of the album is especially poignant. "In My Room," her viral TikTok hit, which blends rock with elements of folk, remains devastating in context—a snapshot of obsessive self-sabotage disguised as longing. "Sunshine State," which continues with the melancholy acoustic guitars, delivers a breath of warmth and hope despite its darker sonic structure. The penultimate track tells a story of two people bonded by shared trauma and dreams that stretch beyond the borders of small-town life. And then there’s the immensely honest finale: "You’ve Lost A Lot Of Blood," a masterclass in poetic trauma processing. "I killed you off with two hands and I meant it, a kid in my memories," she sings—a call back to the opening track, "Kill You Off." Each word feels like ripped journal pages, but it's the crushing blow: “I prayed for death with a stuffed animal on my bed," that hits you immensely.
PRESSURE is not a comfortable album. It’s not supposed to be. It’s brimming with intrusive thoughts, bitter realizations, and the kind of honesty that makes you wince because you may recognize yourself in it. But in a music landscape often obsessed with polish and posturing, Julia Wolf’s refusal to filter herself is not just brave, it’s revolutionary. It's clear that Julia Wolf isn’t just telling her story on PRESSURE—she’s demanding to be seen, on her terms. And it's impossible to look away.
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