LOS ANGELES, CA- Nia Archives first landed on my radar through her collaboration with Jorja Smith, a pairing that immediately showcased how effortlessly she can balance emotionally vulnerable songwriting with propulsive jungle rhythms. So when Emotional Junglist arrived, led by the infectious “There Goes Ma Head,” I was curious to hear how that chemistry would translate across a full-length project.
It didn’t take long for the album to pull me in.
I hit play the moment I received the release notification, and by the end of the lead single I knew this wasn’t going to be background music. Later that evening, I queued the album again during my workout, figuring its drum & bass foundation would make for good gym music. Two complete listens later, without skipping a single track, Emotional Junglist had done exactly that. The relentless breakbeats and rolling basslines kept my energy elevated from start to finish, turning an ordinary workout into something noticeably more intense.
For fans of jungle, that’s probably the greatest compliment this record can receive.
Rather than constantly chasing explosive highs, Nia Archives excels at creating momentum. Her production is immersive, weaving classic jungle breakbeats together with touches of indie pop, electronic music, and UK club culture into something that feels contemporary without abandoning the genre’s roots. The result is an album that doesn’t necessarily demand your attention with every song, but instead creates a sustained atmosphere that encourages you to stay inside its world.
Vocally, Nia isn’t trying to overpower these productions. Instead, she treats her voice almost like another instrument within the mix. Her melodies glide across the frenetic percussion with an understated confidence that complements the music rather than competing against it. That restrained approach becomes one of the album’s defining characteristics, allowing the rhythmic pulse to remain front and center while still giving the songs an emotional core.
“There Goes Ma Head” serves as an ideal introduction to that formula. The track balances introspective lyricism with an irresistible groove, making it immediately accessible while still embodying the emotional push and pull that runs throughout the album. If you’re discovering Nia Archives for the first time, it’s an excellent entry point into her sound.
There are moments where the album’s persistent jungle rhythms can begin to blur together, particularly during a straight-through listen. Yet that consistency also becomes one of Emotional Junglist‘s greatest strengths. Whether you’re driving, working, or, in my case, pushing through a workout, the record settles into a hypnotic groove that makes it surprisingly easy to let play uninterrupted.
One of my favorite moments arrives on “Tender,” featuring Sampha. With the drums sitting slightly farther back in the mix, the collaboration creates a welcome change of pace that allows the emotion in both artists’ performances to shine. It’s a reminder that beneath the breakbeats and high-energy production, Nia Archives is equally interested in vulnerability and mood.
Emotional Junglist may not be an album that reinvents jungle overnight, but it doesn’t need to. Instead, it succeeds by refining Nia Archives’ unique blend of electronic music, pop sensibility, and emotional honesty into a cohesive listening experience that’s equally at home on the dance floor, through a pair of headphones, or during an intense gym session.
If you’re already a jungle devotee, there’s plenty here to love. And if you’re curious about what the current wave of the genre sounds like, Emotional Junglist is a rewarding place to begin.
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