Album Review: Perfume Genius Delivers His Best In ‘Set My Heart on Fire Immediately’

Set My Heart on Fire Immediately is an ambitious amalgamation of the past and present that only Perfume Genius could create.

Written by C.S. Harper

Photo courtesy of Camille Vivier

Mike Hadreas, better known as Perfume Genius, is one of art pop’s most unpredictable voices. From glam rock to synth pop, all of his albums explore a different palette of sounds. His last album, 2017’s No Shape, signified a turning point in his discography. Hadreas’ most free-spirited project yet, the album features eclectic production that diverges from pop conventions, playing with irregular song structures and inorganic sounds. Thematically, No Shape also sees the singer-songwriter break free from social norms. Whereas he struggles with his sexuality in previous records, he carries it with unapologetic confidence in No Shape. In the standout track “Slip Away,” Hadreas tells his partner to ignore those who oppose their relationship: “let all them voices slip away.”

Three years later, Perfume Genius has returned with his latest musical metamorphosis. A departure from No Shape’s campy extravagance, Set My Heart On Fire Immediately is minimalistic and primitive. Unlike its predecessor, the album is dominated by organic instruments, like guitars and pianos. However, it stays true to the unrestrained nature of Hadreas’ creative vision, balancing gritty and delicate elements throughout its runtime.

“Describe,” the first single from Set My Heart On Fire Immediately, sets the sonic and thematic tone for the album. A country-grunge track, it reveals a new side of Perfume Genius. According to the singer, “it started as this really sombre ballad. (...) And then it turned into this beast of a song.” Its distorted guitars create an aggressive wall of sound beneath Hadreas’ soft vocals as he recounts his experiences with depression. In the same spirit, its accompanying self-directed music video portrays a group of dancers navigating a desolate village. Hadreas trades his gender-bending fashion for traditionally masculine clothes in the video, wearing a tank top inspired by Marlon Brando’s wardrobe in “A Streetcar Named Desire.” By incorporating elements of traditional masculinity into sound and image, he challenges gender norms in subtle but clever ways.

Over the course of Set My Heart on Fire Immediately, Hadreas tackles other issues with similar maturity. In the ethereal opener, “Whole Life,” the 38-year-old contemplates the passage of time over heavenly violins and twangy guitars. Rather than taking a mournful tone, the song comes off as a celebration of his life. Inspired by Roy Orbison, the song sounds like one of the legend’s romantic ballads. In an operatic timbre, Hadreas sings, “Half of my whole life is done / Let it drift and wash away.”

Hadreas is no stranger to candidness. Famous for his “No family is safe / When I sashay” lyric from 2014’s “Queen,” the singer-songwriter has a knack for penning pithy lyrics. Set My Heart On Fire Immediately is filled with these moments, as he recounts his past struggles with frankness. Reminiscent of ‘50s country, the cheerful piano chords and twangy guitars of “Without You” contrast with its themes of body dysmorphia. Similarly, “Jason” juxtaposes delicate instrumentation with shocking lyrics. Accompanied by a dainty harpsichord and violins, Hadreas recalls a sexual encounter with a straight man. “He ran his hands up me / He was afraid / Tears streaming down his face,” he sings in a falsetto.

Photo courtesy of Matador Records

In the standout track “Leave,” Hadreas showcases his musical dexterity. Over waves of piano arpeggios, he mumbles “Set my heart on fire immediately / Chain me to the dream forever,” as if in a stupor. Through these poetic lyrics, the song reveals his self-awareness about his art. Acknowledging his vulnerability as an artist, Hadreas fears that listeners ignore his personal struggles and use him for entertainment. Despite his suffering, he vows to continue making art in the last verse: “Barely holding on now / I’m singing.”

After this turning point in the record, Hadreas focuses on the present. “On the Floor,” “Nothing at All,” and “Your Body Changes Everything” find him yearning for his partner’s affection (“I just want him in my arms”), while “Just a Touch” broadens his storytelling on LGBTQ+ relationships by alluding to a forbidden love story between two men. As such, Hadreas not only celebrates his own personal growth and relationships, but other stories of same-sex love.

Just as Hadreas’ focus changes in the second half of the record, his songwriting style transforms into a more cryptic one. Using metaphor-ridden lyrics, Hadreas wanders back to his youth in “One More Try” and “Some Dream.” Despite his endearment toward his past in “Whole Life,” these songs reveal that his previous relationships still haunt him. In “One More Try,” he divulges his feelings for an unnamed past lover: “Oh, baby blue / I still see you.” Looking back at his career in “Some Dream,” he realizes how his devotion to music has alienated his loved ones. “All this for a song?” he laments as he watches his relationships deteriorate.

In the closing track, “Borrowed Light,” Hadreas comes full circle. The singer reflects on his life once more, but his worldview has become bleak. He grapples with the idea that his music may not be as “magic and spiritual” as it seems to him from an outsider’s perspective. He comes to embrace this uncertainty, closing the album with the words, “I thought the sea would make some pattern known / But there’s no secret / Just an undertow.”

Set My Heart On Fire Immediately feels like the album that Perfume Genius’ career has been building up to over the past decade. The aesthetic, lyrical, and sonic transformation of Hadreas’ music marks the result of his emotional metamorphosis. With this album, Mike Hadreas liberates himself from his past and crafts a new era for Perfume Genius.