To celebrate Pride, we’ll be highlighting a different Irish artist from the LGBTQIA+ community each day in June as part of our Pride Profiles series.
By Clare Martin
Listen If You Like
Charli XCX, Carly Rae Jepsen, Perfume Genius
Who He Is
Jack Rua is a beam of light for the Irish pop scene, meshing the various facets of the genre into a brilliant, unmissable gem. His 2020 album Narcissus is lean time-wise, clocking in at just under a half hour, but nourishing for the soul with its throbbing beats, infectious choruses, and slick production. Stabs of piano, slaps of synth, and clanging drum machine all feel made for a boogie in Street 66. His lyrics are honest and evocative, late-night talk clouded by cigarette smoke and one too many cocktails, but the precision of his music should not be underestimated.
More recently, Rua put out the EP I Don’t Party Enough Anymore with American producer Saint Taint. The project is a hyperpop dream, exploring the darker sides of lockdown while also feeding our collective need for a good dance after a year of separation. Most excitingly, Rua is playing a socially distanced gig in the Button Factory on 13 July. You can get your tickets for the gig here and listen to his new EP below.
Nameless Faceless 