Ikonika, the producer and singer also known as Sara Chen, has released a new album titled Sad that marks a significant shift in their musical direction. For the first time, Chen puts their own vocals at the forefront, adopting a charismatic and haunting pop presence. The album blends seductive R&B vocals with steely, hypnotic delivery over production that draws from bass music and South African amapiano.
Chen has been a fixture of underground electronic music for nearly two decades, signed to the Hyperdub label. Previous releases like 2020's Your Body and 2018's The Library Album established them as a brash, warm-spirited producer. However, Sad feels like a debut, centring sounds from northern and southern Africa – Chen is part-Egyptian – on tracks like Sense Seeker and Gone.
Lyrically, the album explores ideas of safety and care, pushing Chen's persona beyond the role of a party starter into more complex territory. They repeat phrases like mantras: “Feel it now, feel your love” on Sense Seeker and “Is it illogical? Is it impossible?” on Take Control. This gives the album an intimate, journal-like quality, full of earnest thoughts and raw desire.
The album’s mission statement arrives early with the line “Are you even listening? Listen to your heart,” announcing Chen's embrace of pop without sacrificing the complexity that defined their earlier work. Sad is a convincing and compelling new direction for the Hyperdub veteran.
