Emma-Jean Thackray Mixes Jazz, Soul, And Electronic Tones On “Wanna Die”

Emma-Jean Thackray lays it all bare on “Wanna Die”—a track that floats through jazz, electronic, and soul while holding something much heavier. Her voice opens the song, unaccompanied, before the beat snaps in—tight electronic drums landing right as she reaches the word “die.” A warm but synthetic electric piano hums beneath it, the bassline moving like it’s carrying a weight it can’t drop. Static-laced synths and sparkling leads scatter across the stereo field, giving the track an off-kilter pulse that keeps everything uneasy.

Vocally, Thackray doesn’t oversell the emotion. The delivery is stark—minimal effects, close, almost too personal. “I don’t wanna die, I just wanna sleep a while, maybe forever.” The exhaustion is real—the kind that makes disappearing seem easier than waking up. The denial stings worse: “I am doing fine, I’m not gonna cry.” Then the slip: “Except for all the times I do.” That’s where the mask cracks.

The video plays into the surreal—Thackray performing as every band member on a retro variety show. It’s playful, eerie, and perfectly offbeat. “Wanna Die” tells the truth and leaves it hanging in the air.

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