Poppy returns with “Guardian”, the third single from her upcoming album Empty Hands, and delivers a track that trades visceral shrieks for stratospheric vocal prowess.
Jordan Fish, who previously worked with Bring Me The Horizon, handles production duties, crafting an opening built on grungy, mechanised guitar work that threatens to descend into crushing heaviness but takes an unexpected turn.
The track builds around chugging riffage and a metalcore foundation, yet Poppy’s approach here leans toward mainstream accessibility.
Her vocals command the mix with crystalline clarity, hitting registers that showcase her evolution as a vocalist.
The chorus explodes with melodic hooks, eschewing her trademark feral screams for something more polished yet no less powerful.
Production-wise, “Guardian” treads familiar territory. The mix carries echoes of mid-2000s alternative metal, particularly Evanescence’s gothic grandeur, with layered orchestration beneath the distorted guitars.
Where you anticipate a bone-crushing breakdown at the two-minute mark, Poppy subverts expectations, instead letting her clean vocals shimmer against a backdrop of grinding riffs.
Lyrically, the song explores themes of unwavering protection amidst chaos and collapse. Lines like “When all the gods lose faith, the cities laid to waste / I will be there, I’ll be your guardian” position the narrator as a steadfast protector against darkness and despair.
The production feels somewhat formulaic for those craving Poppy’s more experimental edges. Fish’s polish smooths the rough edges that make her most visceral work so captivating.
Still, “Guardian” proves Poppy continues maturing vocally, even if the sonic template plays it safer than her previous releases.
Empty Hands drops January 23, 2026 via Sumerian Records.
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