Michelle Buzz (singer-songwriter) and Lance Shipp (producer and multi-instrumentalist) are no strangers to the music industry. After spending years writing and working with artists like Katy Perry, Calvin Harris or Britney Spears, Big Disgrace was born as the debut album from the L.A.-based alt-pop duo Haute & Freddy.
Going beyond the performance, the pair fully inhabit the creative universe they bring to life. Narrative, costumes and visual language come together in a flashing and impactful conceptual framework. Even casually attentive pop listeners will almost automatically identify aesthetic parallels with Chappell Roan – but the inspirations behind this complex world-building stretch far beyond that reference. We’re not standing before a historical recreation, but an intertemporal fusion that absorbs influences ranging from the Baroque style of the 17th and 18th centuries to the boldness of the Victorian circus, the rousing synth-pop of the ’80s and a more contemporary strain of theatrical glam. This cultural eclecticism is reflected not only in the album’s sound, but also in the artists’ wardrobe, which incorporates historical and burlesque silhouettes, circus elements and even aristocratic ornamentation.
Big Disgrace and its visual universe come from the need to bring colour to a period of emotional and creative frustration, from someone trying to escape reality. The track “Symphony For A Queen” rolls out the red carpet for listeners to step into the world of Haute & Freddy – a maximalist synth-pop composition with the grandeur of a Broadway showpiece. Despite the consistent presence of symbolism, the writing remains relatively direct in its linguistic construction. For example, a sense of marginality and alienation runs through the entire record. They know they are different, detached from the mainstream, and in a provocative tone they turn that very dissidence into a tool of empowerment. “Anti-Superstar” stands as a statement of this feeling:
“I can't be for everyone
If I'm made for you
I can't be every color
And your favorite hue
Keep me under covers
Keep me on the shelf
All of the grandeur
Fortune, power
Who gives a damn”
The outsider identity continues to be displayed on other tracks like “Shy Girl,” where shyness unfolds as a strength instead of a weakness, paired with a “I don’t give a f**k” stance. The provocative attitude remains consistent: “Scantily Clad” addresses the absurd pettiness of those offended by things that shouldn’t concern them; misogyny is trampled in “Femme Hysteria” through Biblical references and allegories of witch persecution; meanwhile, the skittering synthesizers of “Fields of Versailles” support reflections on the social imbalance, using multiple references to Marie Antoinette.
At its core, the primary function of Big Disgrace is to facilitate personal liberation, and no one could deny that it is on the dancefloor where social, cultural and gender concepts fade out. It’s within this philosophy that the message of the record is spread. Buzz’s expansive vocals lift us into an extraterrestrial dimension, exploring the aesthetic substance of their work as a therapeutic experience. The theatricality of “Dance the Pain Away” (a track that reached the masses via a viral TikTok) is delivered as an emotional manifesto, with an energy reminiscent of the most danceable synth-pop of Pet Shop Boys. Taking advantage of the spectrum of stylistic similarities, it is almost impossible not to mention Kate Bush – I can almost hear her in certain sections of “Femme Hysteria” – or the synthetic creativity on some of Michael Jackson’s songs (“Freaks” must draw, consciously or not, some inspiration from Thriller).
Haute & Freddy’s debut is almost paradoxical. Yes, a lot happens at once, both in terms of aesthetics and sonic density, yet there is simultaneously a technical minimalism that makes it easy to listen to – after all, we are talking about a pop record. Big Disgrace has soul, it has identity, and it stands as a testament to the value of a duo who fought creative boredom with innovation.
Album Highlights
Shy Girl
Femme Hysteria
Fields of Versailles
