Jaguar Jonze Shares “PUNCHLINE” From Debut Album ‘BUNNY MODE’ (June 3 via Nettwerk Records)
May 6, 2022 BY Penny Palmer
Taiwanese-Australian singer, producer, songwriter, and multimedia artist Jaguar Jonze is thrilled to unveil her latest single, “PUNCHLINE,” the final track to be shared ahead of the release of her debut album BUNNY MODE out June 3 via Nettwerk. Also featuring the singles “WHO DIED AND MADE YOU KING?”, “CUT,” “LITTLE FIRES,” and “TRIGGER HAPPY,” BUNNY MODE is a personal triumph of resilience and incredible creative work on which the world-building artistry of Jaguar Jonze shines through.
Jaguar Jonze’s new single “PUNCHLINE” is a playful diary entry about navigating the industry as a woman of color, while also wanting to authentically represent her culture. Her sharp-edged humor shines through in its lyrics(“Can’t remember if it’s east or west or in the tropics;” “We love culture but make sure it’s to our very liking / Make it milky, make it plain and not too spicy”), cheekily sung through the many eye rolls that come with the turf when making art as a marginalized person. The video, which is directed, edited, and produced by Jaguar Jonze, welcomes back the Asian women and non-binary folk who featured in the visuals for “WHO DIED AND MADE YOU KING?,” as they all related strongly to the message behind ‘PUNCHLINE’ and wanted to make their voices heard.
QUOTES FROM TALENT:
“Once I heard the lyrics to this song, a part of me that had been hidden dormant felt heard. I’ve always felt I had to be the right type of Asian or hide it away, and this song gave me the confidence to let that small hidden Bengali girl scream in anger. I shouldn’t have to contort myself to be heard.” – Narnia Business
“As an Asian-Australian woman, I instantly resonated with the messaging in Punchline based on the fetishization and stereotypes I’ve faced throughout my life…We are beautiful, we are intelligent, we are multi-faceted, we are desirable beyond fetishized sex appeal, and we are talented beyond our stereotypes, such as in the arts like myself and Jaguar Jonze. We’re not here to please anyone but ourselves.” – Charlotte Marnee
“‘PUNCHLINE’ is a perfect song that expresses how society’s view of women has to change: Adapting to the expectations just to be “seen” and taken seriously. To be heard clearly, we all need to express our voice in whatever shape/form. I am done fitting in all the boxes about women & I am tired of being judged based on how women should be like in public, even in private in our relationships.” – Monaliza Hilario
Watch “PUNCHLINE” Official Music Video HERE:
A powerful feminist work that explores her journey as an assault survivor, an advocate for change, and a figure on the frontline of Australia’s #MeToo movement, BUNNY MODE sees Jaguar Jonze radiate confidence, finding strength in vulnerability and tackling dark topics with lightness and humor. Together with her band, she has created a unique and cinematic patchwork of stadium pop and industrial noise, laced with punchy-punk energy.
BUNNY MODE finds Jaguar Jonze triumphant, unwilling to be complicit in a culture of silence and speak up to an industry banking on her staying quiet. “I’ve given myself permission to feel the emotions that I’ve been holding back on for so long, to find my voice and use it in this world,” she says, “Because I know my worth now. And I do have something to say.“
“…nothing short of a manifold visionary” (Flaunt), Brisbane-based Jaguar Jonzehas had a non-stop two years, becoming a public vessel for change and accountability in the Australian music industry while simultaneously focusing on her creative artistry. Her recent singles have received praise fromthe likes of Rolling Stone, triple j, MTV, and NME, and she was named a featured artist on BBC Radio 1’s Future Artists with Jack Saunders. In honor of her advocacy to raise awareness on discrimination and abuse within the music industry and pushing practitioners to operate in a safe and respectful environment, Jaguar Jonze has been awarded the triple j Done Good Award, AIR Outstanding Achievement Award,and named one of the “21 Most Inspiring Women of 2021” by Vogue Australia. Jaguar Jonze continues her advocacy work, including the group that commissioned the Music Industry Review of sexual harm, sexual harassment, and systemic discrimination in the contemporary Australian music industry and recommendations for reform. As best described in her own words, “the heat that is picking up and fanning those tiny fires into a blaze of reckoning” (Billboard).
See Jaguar Jonze live on the BUNNY MODE Australian Tour this June and July and supporting The Wombats on their Australian tour this June.
To presave the album, click here: https://jaguarjonze.ffm.to/bunnymode.
BUNNY MODE Track List:
1. KNOW MY NAME
2. WHO DIED AND MADE YOU KING?
3. SWALLOW
4. DRAWING LINES
5. TRIGGER HAPPY
6. LOUD
7. LITTLE FIRES
8. PUNCHLINE
9. CUT
10. NOT YOURS
11. MAN MADE MONSTER
About Jaguar Jonze:
Jaguar Jonze and its adjacent projects, the narrative illustration project Spectator Jonze and the gender-subverting photography project Dusky Jonze are powerful ways Deena Lynch has always processed her most intimate vulnerabilities while empowering others to do the same. Deena’s meticulously realized work has earned her the partnerships with brands like Christian Louboutin, Reebok, BMW, Obey, and Stüssy, and critical praise from FLAUNT, PAPER, V Magazine, VICE, Refinery29, Vogue Australia, Marie Claire Australia, and more. Recently highlighted as a BBC Radio 1’s Future Artist, Jaguar Jonze is globally recognized for her commitment to confronting social ills and breaking stigmas.
What The Press Is Saying About Jaguar Jonze:
“Explosive and cinematic” – Paper Magazine
“One of music’s rising acts we’re most excited about” – Just Jared
“A genre-exploding centerpiece” – American Songwriter
“Jonze assumes complete control over her narrative and voice” – V Magazine
“Jaguar Jonze dials up the drama and danger” – Refinery29
“Deena Lynch (aka Jaguar Jonze) is nothing short of a manifold visionary” – FLAUNT
“It’s thanks to art and music that Deena is now, to put it one way, straight-up killing it” – VICE
“…some queen shit…” – Wonderland Magazine
“Jaguar Jonze’s enviable ability to effortlessly saunter between genres and a range of influences, blowing down the barriers as she rattles on with primal energy. A multi-faceted artist, Lynch also has a digital illustration and photography creative endeavors that subvert and challenge” – Line Of Best Fit
“To sum up the creative explosion that is Deena Lynch into a neat little elevator pitch would have even the most qualified of journalists in tears.” – Tone Deaf
“We don’t even have words for how good Jaguar Jonze’s set was (which is problematic considering we’re journalists and writing is literally how we pay our bills) – Industry Observer
“…the video boasts a Tarantino-esque dance-off, all bathed in an unsettling red…It matches the intoxicating song…we can’t wait to see what this exciting artist does next” – Cool Accidents
“Jaguar Jonze, if you’re reading this, please tell us your secrets. You’re a downright goddess of a human”
– Left Bank Magazine
“Lynch has already demonstrated that she is one of the great young storytellers in the business”
– The Revue