Ethel Cain surged into the music limelight with her 2022 album, Preacher’s Daughter. Though an established artist before, Cain garnered a new, significant fan base through social media like TikTok. Stylistic comparisons to other mainstream female pop artists such as Lana Del Rey were immediately raised, widening the audience of the album. A perpetuator of more artistic conceptual albums, Preacher’s Daughter is filled with subtle irony and deep contextual layers that Cain’s new fanbase was entirely blind to. Preacher’s Daughter is the story of a deacon’s young daughter who is kidnapped and violently sexually assaulted, and then subsequently murdered and thrown into a ditch. Inspired by her own religious trauma, the contents of Cain’s music are deeply personal to her. During the album’s tour, new fans would scream “Mother!”, or “Yes, Queen!” during the most harrowing parts of the concept album.
In direct response to her new fans, Cain released Perverts. In every way possible, her 2025 album, Perverts, is the exact opposite of Preacher’s Daughter. Opening with a terrifying and distorted choir rendition of the Christian hymn, “Nearer, My God, to Thee”, followed by 11 minutes of ambient sound and dark, unintelligible, rambling voices. The album takes more inspiration from slowcore and darker ambient music, like Duster or Aphex Twin.
In a multitude of interviews, Cain has deeply expressed her disdain for becoming exceedingly popular. Instead, she wishes to simply create the music she wants to create, without arbitrary expectations placed upon her.
Perverts rewards patience, as tracks like “Amber Waves”, which draw the most similarities to her previous music, are stuffed at the end of the album. Perverts is more about the horrifying journey rather than the destination.
Though make no mistake, Cain’s efforts in an entirely different genre are not in vain. The album captures its themes strikingly well. Perverts is enveloping, utilizing a combination of synths, pianos, and eerie sampled noise.
In an age where mainstream music artists and their labels are hyper-fixated upon more money by churning out half-baked albums, haphazard special “re-releases”, or overpriced merchandise. Cain makes music simply for the love of the artistry. If Cain was concerned with making more money, very easily she could have become the next Lana Del Rey, but instead, she makes the music she is truly passionate about, and it makes itself exceedingly evident in each and every song.
