Unbeknownst to me, there was a huge Welsh contingency at The Great Escape festival this year, with the likes of Luke RV, Lemfrek, and the hotly anticipated Juice Menace delivering shows to critical acclaim.
Juice Menace had been on my festival to-see list from the very beginning, an up-and-coming artist with a lot of credibility, having been asked to pen an exclusive track for the Wales women’s’ team ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifiers, and opening for AJ Tracey at XOYO remarkably early in her career. Emerging artists always compel me – there’s more of a license for experimentation, which can really make a career when tempered by good management. I think Juice has this in hand; I love her sound, and the space it leaves for further development and growth. She's a freshly squeezed talent, and no one can tell me otherwise.
Preceded by the lively Girls of Grime stage, Juice Menace brought an energy to the ballroom (yes, ballroom), dropping a driving drill beat matched with a measured vocal. Her 2020 track “Sundown” struck a chord with the crisp spring sunset as it played out on our final evening of the festival, and whilst numbers don’t really matter, over one 1.1 million streams on Spotify is really quite impressive. For me, it was Juice’s new release “Pink Notes” that hit the mark – an upbeat, house-esque rap track with clarity. Juice Meance is going places and I’m excited to see what comes next.
Follow Juice Menace @juicemenace
Juice Menace, Paganini Ballroom, Saturday 13th May 2023
0 Comments