S Poddar
A bundle of high fashion, loads of fun, and overflowing energy, Suki Waterhouse recently disclosed it all at one place—her debut album Memoir of a Sparklemuffin. I was one lucky personality to attend this exclusive listening party with over one hundred of her ardent fans, where the supermodel-singer/songwriter was all ready to hit the roll.
The scene was set: the soon-to-close-down, soon-to-be-gutted Levi’s HQ in the nerve center of central London, where Suki poured her heart across eighteen tracks. It’s been a rollercoaster of a journey—from the deepest pits of heartbreak to the euphoric high of finding her soulmate in the form of her long-term partner, the enigmatic Robert Pattinson. It was an album written throughout the magical yet difficult process of her pregnancy with their eldest child, this little girl born in March. Therefore, it is a collection of tender love songs and defiant anthems. Suki’s signature cool grunge-infused sound resounds through on songs like “Gateway Drug,” which is sure to be a fan favorite come album drop.
Last year, Suki left suggestions of a torrid split with Hollywood heart-throb Bradley Cooper. Now it seems she has exorcised those demons on the raw and unflinching track “Lawsuit.” With a laugh, she admits: “I’ll probably get sued if I delve too deep,” but the song has no holds barred.
Suki describes the experience of recording this track: “I mean, it felt a little bit like being in a personal hell,” she confesses. “But then, I found redemption in the others, people that had been through a similar experience—you know, the whole ex, exes club. That shared understanding was incredibly healing.” A bright smile crosses her face as she adds, “It’s like we’re all part of this exclusive ‘I hate you’ fan club.”
The listening party was an eye-watering experience. From the first chords of new tracks like “Model, Actress, Whatever” and “Legendary Love,” the room was on its feet, cheering. pretty eclectic musical influences range from Sheryl Crow to Violet Paley, even her own experiences as a rock star in the Amazon Prime show Daisy Jones & The Six.
With an album release on September 13th and a high-profile opening slot for Taylor Swift at Wembley Stadium just days before, Suki’s got a whirlwind few weeks ahead. But she’s already looking beyond Memoir of a Sparklemuffin. Her dream collaborator? The incomparable Rosalía. With usual self-deprecation, Suki jokes, “She’s got a voice of an angel. I’d stick to the talking parts”.
But the truth you want to hear is likely a duet anyway, far off. Until it is, I’ll be lost in the world of Suki Waterhouse — a woman who has, in the face of absolutely everything, taken heartbreak and turned it into harmony.
