Kitchen Feedback

One of the best things about music is stumbling across an artist before everyone else around you catches on. Years later, when they’re selling out arenas and collecting awards, you get to annoy your friends by saying, “I was listening to them before it was cool.”

Amy Shark is one of those artists for me.

I first discovered Amy years ago, and while she’s built an impressive catalogue since then, my favourite track remains Mess Her Up. Maybe it’s because it was my introduction to her music. Maybe it’s because the song perfectly captures the awkwardness, insecurity, and self-sabotage that often come with relationships. Or maybe it’s simply because it’s a ridiculously good song. Whatever the reason, it has survived countless playlist refreshes, phone upgrades, and musical rabbit holes.

That’s not an easy feat.

As readers of Kitchen Feedback or stalkers of my Spotify playlists probably know by now, my playlists are usually dominated by rock bands, pop-punk acts, and enough guitars to make my Spotify algorithm question my sanity. Amy Shark has always been one of those artists who sneaks into the rotation anyway. Good songwriting has a way of cutting across genres, and she’s been writing great songs for years.

Which brings us to her upcoming album.

The lead single, The Biggest Dick, is already an absolute earworm. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve played it since release, and I suspect my neighbours are now far more familiar with Amy Shark than they ever intended to be.

The track is everything I enjoy about Amy’s music. It’s sharp, funny, brutally honest, and wrapped around a chorus that refuses to leave your head. The title will undoubtedly grab attention, but underneath it is the same observational songwriting that has always made her stand out. Amy has a knack for taking situations that are painfully specific and somehow making them feel universally relatable.

The song also reminds me why I’ve continued following her career all these years. In an era where so much pop music feels assembled by committee, Amy’s songs still feel like they come from a real person with real experiences and real emotions. There’s an authenticity to her writing that can’t be manufactured.

And let’s be honest: if you’re going to write a song called The Biggest Dick, it had better be memorable.

Thankfully, it absolutely is.

I’m also curious to hear how the rest of the album develops from here. Amy has never been afraid to evolve her sound, but she’s always managed to retain the lyrical honesty that made people connect with her in the first place. That’s a difficult balancing act, and one that many artists struggle to pull off once they achieve mainstream success.

For now, all we have is the lead single, but it’s a strong start. Strong enough that this album has moved near the top of my most-anticipated releases list.

Much like discovering a new pickleball paddle that immediately earns a permanent place in the bag, you know pretty quickly when a song just works. The Biggest Dick feels like one of those songs.

As for the album “Soft Pop” itself, I’m optimistic. If the rest of the record delivers the same combination of wit, honesty, and infectious hooks, Amy Shark might be about to release one of the standout pop albums of the year.

Until then, I’ll be over here replaying Mess Her Up for the thousandth time while waiting for release day.

Soft Pop drops 24 July 2026. Until then, please enjoy the music video for The Biggest Dick.