Chateau Chateau - Grow Up (2022) [Hi-Res]

Equal parts melancholy and glitter, Chateau Chateau is an evolving community of musicians from Tuscon, Arizona making cathartic indie pop for weirdos, outcasts, queer folks, and anyone else who needs it. Formed in 2018, the band is led by Bleu and Alex, a DIY-minded duo who transform things that are “traditionally ugly, abstract, and leftover” into new shiny and special forms. Although their songs explore dark subjects like mental illness, addiction, and trauma, Chateau Chateau channel their anguish into upbeat, danceable tracks packed with grim humor and messages of resilience.

Grow Up, the band’s debut release for Kill Rock Stars, tells the “coming of age story” of frontperson Bleu, who dedicates each song to different toxic relationships throughout her life and how she found herself growing up through each experience. On the raucous lead single “I Don’t Love You Anymore,” she takes a stand against her abusive father with acerbic lines of indifference, while the galavanting song “Converted,” they poke fun at a narcissistic ex who once saw Bleu as his “token fantasy.”

Although their lyrics can be brutal in their emotional honesty, Chateau Chateau imbue their tales with a tongue-in-cheek playfulness and end each song with tenacious declarations that they will overcome any obstacle. “I’ll prove you wrong, just let me interrupt,” Bleu sings on the fiery track “Push Your Luck.” As a result, Grow Up is a rebellious statement of self-determination that delves into everything from ‘80s-inspired synth-pop and post-punk to dance music.