By: Fatima Privitt
Audacity by Jae Stephens Album Cover
Pop and electricity are the two forces that define Jae Stephens' Audacity. As the follow-up to her 2025 album Total Sellout, Stephens opens with maximalist pop infused with house and techno influences. The album feels like an homage to the pop albums of the 2000s, delivering an adrenaline-fueled dance rush while exploring the complexities of relationships alongside club-ready classics.
Released September 25, 2026, the album contains 11 songs, each with its own distinct pop sound. Hyperactive production, electronic dance instrumentals, and rapid hi-hat claps create a consistently energetic atmosphere. The opening track, “Crush,” captures the feeling of having a crush before leading into the hyperactive “No One Knows My Name,” which emphasizes the excitement of being young, single, and free. That energy continues through “Attaboy!” and “Sugar Trap,” where increasingly layered production and pounding beats complement lyrics about the complexity of relationships and developing internal confidence.
Link to Audacity by Jae Stephens
Stephens later mellows out to R&B pop tracks like “I Miss The City,” featuring lyrics “I couldn't be cuffed, I thought I was down… I miss the city when it’s late at night.” The song leads into “The Distance,” “Soft Side," and "Downhill,” which incorporate claps and R&B rhythms. The album begins to pick up momentum again with “B4U,” “Expensive & Difficult,” and closing track “Gymnastics.” Across these songs, vocal textures become integrated into the instrumentation, creating airy, amplified, and hypnotic grooves.
Audacity feels like a journey through a woman coming to terms with her relationship while gaining a stronger sense of internal confidence. Stephens draws from Y2K-era vocal textures and pop-R&B rhythms while combining them with contemporary electronic production. The result is an album that feels both nostalgic and fresh within the modern music landscape.