Recommended Tracks: “The Catalyst,” “Crawl (Caleb’s Song),” “Take Care of Her,” “Chin Up, Beautiful”
Artists You Might Like: SACE6, Holywatr, Bring Me The Horizon
Darkness never tasted so sweet with Chin Up, Beautiful, the newest and heaviest album by renowned Canadian alternative-rock artist Jutes. Exploring a world-is-ending simulation through the course of the 13-track album, fall into a cycle of hope and darkness all in one. Containing pre-released singles like “Icarus,” “Disassociate,” “Mannequin/ Goodnight (Interlude) <3,” “White Butterflies” and “Blink Twice,” this imaginative album spins the artist and listeners into a dystopian and post-apocalyptic mind frame, so be careful what you wish for, for you may not like what you see. In an interview with 1883 Magazine, he told the interviewer:
“The world feels really cooked right now and it’s impossible to feel everything all at once, so we just go numb and fake smiles because we’re helpless. That’s how I was feeling when I made this. It pulls from elements of my music when I first started singing and incorporates them with everything I’ve learned about my voice and songwriting since then.”
With the seemingly iconic opening track of the album “Icarus,” Jutes opens up with a tale most common to us of the wax-winged boy. Faced with one’s own desire to feel like somebody, even for a moment, the next single “Smile, You’re On Camera” becomes a harsh smack of reality. As deadly as Icarus meets the sea, so too is the reality of the darkness tied to fame. Reflected in the lyrics, “Would you still kill yourself for your dream life? / Break your soul, baby, do it for the screen time / Is it real? Does it feel like the movies? / Wanna know, baby, who did you sacrifice?,” he explores the pressure to hide one’s emotions from the cameras.
The next two tracks can be interpreted as the descent into the illusion of the album’s world. “The Catalyst” and “Disassociate” seem to be a duo of tracks shrouded in lust and drugs as a means of escape. Perhaps tying into the sacrifices worth mentioned in the previous track, the narrator falls deeper into the hazy mist, with out of body experiences in lyrics such as: “If I’m bein’ honest / I’m higher than I’ve ever been / My soul is outta body, you’re the catalyst / The catalyst,” and “Heat is rising, heart is colder / It only dies when we say it’s over / So, lay with me while I hold you / As long as you’re here, I won’t move / I know there’s no one coming to the rescue / I know I should feel scared too..”
Heading toward the end of the album, singles such as “Take Care of Her” and “Cry Wolf” bring reminders of a lover who got away, but not being able to gather the strength to bring them back. The desire to stay with someone up until the end of the world continues into the ending of the album with “Blink Twice.” Visually representing this trope, the music video showcases a pair of lovers remaining in the wreckage surrounding them rather than fighting it.
Closing the album out is the illustrious “Chin Up, Beautiful” — a loaded single depending on how it resonates with its listener. A realization that you’ve gotten everything you wished for, but still refusing to look at the world around you for fear of not liking it. In that case, nothing even mattered. Jutes told the interviewers at 1883 Magazine:
” ‘Chin up, beautiful’ sounds really sweet and endearing, but there’s a darkness to it. It’s kind of ‘if you don’t like it, just close your eyes’, which is a horrible thing. Just pretend it’s not there. So it’s a sad ending. But I think some people will probably find hope in that song too. A lot of people I’ve shown it to have been like, ‘oh, it’s a hopeful ending,’ and I’m like, ‘Sure, if it is for you, then it is.’ But for me, it starts off as ‘I just want to be noticed..’ “
Rather than the album leaving off with the message within this single, it has been revealed by the artist that “Chin Up, Beautiful” is actually a prequel to “Disassociate” — a cycle that continues to loop with seemingly no escape from the simulation. Regardless if one cannot seem to escape the ugliness in the world, knowing that an artist shares a similar feeling to listeners creates a warm sense of connection in which we all can make it together.
Catch Jutes on his 2026 North American tour with supporting artists In Color, Mothica and WILT. Tickets for the tour are on sale now!
Smile, You’re On Tour dates:
*= festival appearance
- Aug 11 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren
- Aug 13 – Denver, CO – Summit Aug 15 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues
- Aug 16 – Detroit, MI – The Majestic
- Aug 20 – Toronto, ON – Opera House
- Aug 22 – Montreal, QC – Warped Tour*
- Aug 23 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
- Aug 27 – New York, NY – Irving Plaza
- Aug 28 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of Living Arts
- Aug 30 – Charlotte, NC – The Underground
- Sep 01 – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre
- Sep 02 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade (Heaven)
- Sep 05 – Houston, TX – House of Blues
- Sep 08 – Austin, TX – Emo’s
- Sep 10 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues
- Sep 12 – Mexico City, MX – Warped Tour*
- Sep 16 – St. Petersburg, FL – Jannus Live
- Sep 17 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Culture Room
- Sep 19 – Nashville, TN – Eastside Bowl
- Sep 20 – Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life*
- Sep 23 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
- Oct 01 – San Diego, CA – Music Box
- Oct 04 – Sacramento, CA – Aftershock*
- Nov 14 – Orlando, FL – Warped Tour*
Keep up with Jutes: Instagram // Spotify // Facebook // TikTok // X // Youtube // Website
