Kansas City’s alt-pop powerhouse in the making, pure xtc, has decided to make more waves as we get closer to leaving 2024 in the rearview with her new single, “Hurt Me Bad.” The single is described as Taylor Hughes’s “Journey through the music industry—the way we pour everything into something we love, only to find it slowly unraveling us.”
A single specially crafted for the short film Rangoon that had its premiere at the Screenland Armour Theatre this past weekend. But, with the coolness that comes with an accolade like scoring a short film aside, how does “Hurt Me Bad” present itself as a standalone piece of music? Does this new single keep the fire that pure xtc has been burning for years? Let’s jump right into it and find out.
When it comes to pure xtc and the thought-provoking wonderland that her music transforms into with each new listen, also presents an endless raw nature and vulnerable themes that create relatable experiences no matter the situation, and “Hurt Me Bad” does very little to break that exhilarating cycle.
Creating an otherworldly playground of sound for the senses to play in while the mind works to break down Taylor’s haunting vocal presentation and bouncing soundscape is kin to a downhill speed race with cut breaks. Just as you think you know what she has planned around the corner Taylor throws a wrench into the process. Lyrically, “Hurt Me Bad” is revealing, truthful, a touch of dark, and purely vulnerable to Taylor’s authentic experience navigating the music industry.
“What if I’m not strong enough,” I swear Taylor constantly finds ways to grasp endless attention as she continues to make splashes with each new release. “Hurt Me Bad” sets itself as a pale horse in the eyes of the rest of pure xtc’s growing catalog with signs continuing to only point towards the sky being the limit.
I have yet to dislike a pure xtc track and that’s a testament to the quality of instrumental prowess, journal-style lyrics, and perfect precision delivery that Taylor puts into each little detail that comes together to pull listeners in and throw them right into the world of sound she puts together for us to explore with each new experience.
With yet another hard-hitting release under her belt with “Hurt Me Bad,” it’s safe to assume Taylor Hughes has some big plans set up for her continued takeover going into 2025. And as it’s been with each new release, I will most likely stream the heck out of whatever she puts out next.
“Hurt Me Bad” can be streamed across all the top streaming platforms now.
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