I got the feeling of feeling we’re alright
Get comfortable and say the things I like
Until I see your face is turning red
You haven’t found a way to kill me yet
Jehnny Beth‘s No Good For People arrives like a cryptic transmission from the industrial fringe, crackling with icy intensity and a stark dissonance. Dropped in late July as a teaser for her anticipated sophomore release, You Heartbreaker, You (Fiction Records, August 29), the track collides bold electronica with a bruised reflection on self-destruction and isolation.
The origins trace back to HBO’s hypnotic True Detective, specifically Rust Cohle’s piercing confession: “I think I’m just not good for people…I wear them down.” This sentiment struck a chord with Beth.
“It spoke to me because it questions the inability to coexist with others and the delicate balance where the truth can be heartbreaking.”
Beth twists that revelation into an industrial meditation, channeling raw vulnerability and corrosive honesty. The song pulses with abrasive synth textures, an unsettling dance through emotional solitude and stark self-awareness. Her voice slithers between brittle whispers and razor-edged proclamations, embodying the fraught space between intimacy and alienation. It’s artful self-examination, amplified by layers of distortion and electronic intensity.
Accompanying the single is a striking visual co-directed by Beth and creative partner Johnny Hostile, a surreal exploration of duplicity and suppressed identities. Mirrored selves float through dream-state vignettes, invoking a subconscious clash between truth and façade. The video’s stylized atmosphere nods reverently to the late David Lynch, capturing his off-kilter aesthetic through velvet drapery and cryptic symbolism. Beth’s cinematic homage gracefully deepens the emotional potency of the song.
“We explored this idea of the double, how we can be two-faced sometimes, or want to hide our ugly side,” Beth explains. “It was made soon after David Lynch had died, and somehow, when I watch it now, I can see a bit of his influence in the surrealistic aspects of some of the scenes (with blue curtains instead of red, though!!)”.
No Good For People unfolds as an unflinching portrait of internal fracture and external estrangement, a poised juxtaposition of industrial harshness and emotional rawness. Jehnny Beth confronts the hidden ugliness of human connection with profound authenticity, marking this track as a compelling preview of a highly anticipated second act.
Watch the video for “No Good for People” below:
Jehnny Beth, the fiercely compelling French artist acclaimed for her commanding performances in post-punk, indie, and art-rock circles, rose to prominence leading the critically celebrated London quartet, Savages, in the 2010s.
Spanning nine diverse tracks, You Heartbreaker, You confronts personal turmoil and global upheaval head-on. Beth frames the record as a reflection on our volatile times, remarking, “We’re living in a dark era, full of drama and barbarous tragedy… in these times, we either learn how to scream really well, or we learn how to whisper.” This duality shapes the album’s soundscape, ranging from the explosive intensity captured in the single Broken Rib to moments of hushed vulnerability, vividly illustrating the nuanced extremes of human emotion and reaction.
The album’s release will be supported by special live events. Jehnny Beth has announced a series of in-store performances at Rough Trade shops in the UK in early September 2025, where fans can see her up close and get signed copies by pre-ordering the album. Additionally, she will embark on a European/UK tour in October 2025, including headline shows in London (Oct 30 at Electrowerkz and Oct 31 at The Camden Assembly) and dates in France, Germany, Switzerland, and more.
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