Album Review: Peggy Gou, I Hear You

DJ juggernaut Peggy Gou comes into the summer of 2024 with a growing reputation.

Last year’s ‘(It Goes Like) Nanana’ catapulted the Berlin-based artist into the mainstream – the combination of its energy, addictive pitch bends and straightforward vocal hook made it a smash hit.  It also signalled a musical shift towards ‘90s Euro-house (sampling ATB’s 1998 tune ‘9pm’), letting us know what to expect from Gou’s debut album, I Hear You.

The LP kicks off with something of a manifesto statement on ‘Your Art’: “We have colonised, industrialised, modernised… Let’s make the art work again, create your universe and you”.  The Tribe Call Quest-style ‘All That’ features slick bars from Puerto Rican Villano Antillano, while ‘Back To One’ contains a similarly cool Latin vocal.

Elsewhere, ‘Seoulsi Peggygou’ makes use of charming East Asian melodies over busy drum patterns, and Lenny Kravitz gets a bit steamy over a space funk backdrop on ‘I Believe In Love Again’. In I Hear You, Gou has created a tastefully accessible dance record, which openly leans on throwback influences. It’s unafraid to be poppy too – making for an EDM offering with potentially wide appeal.

Recommended song:  ‘Back To One'

Rating 8/10

Check out our June album reviews in this month's issue of Hot Press: