Exploring duality and breaking free from black-and-white thinking, Megg Jacobs dives into raw emotion and haunting imagery with her new single “DEATH,” the visceral companion to the acclaimed track “ego.”
1. Your new single “DEATH” feels like a visceral
continuation of the themes in “ego.” What initially sparked the need to explore
this companion piece?
When I finished
writing “ego,” I knew the story wasn’t fully complete. That made sense,
considering the whole song is about being stuck in a loop of duality, of
black-and-white thinking. It felt natural to create a companion piece to
reflect the other side. “ego” // “DEATH” became a way to explore both extremes,
like two mirrors facing each other, infinitely reflecting back.
2. You describe “DEATH” as a meditation on
black-and-white thinking. What personal experiences or realizations inspired
you to confront this theme head-on?
We live in a
culture that amplifies the loudest, most extreme voices. People treat hot takes
like gospel, forgetting they’re just opinions. It’s easy to fall into this trap
of labeling everything as either good or evil when real life is full of nuance.
That binary thinking becomes a kind of mental prison. I’ve definitely
experienced that myself. I wanted “DEATH” to encourage people to acknowledge
the gray space, to be okay living there.
3. The imagery in “DEATH” — dirt in the glitter,
glitter in the dirt — is so poetic and layered. How did those metaphors take
shape during the songwriting process?
Thank you! I
wanted to show how two things can be beautiful and uncomfortable at the same
time. Dirt feels dark and messy, but it’s also natural and life-giving. Glitter
is bright and eye-catching, but artificial and fleeting. They clash, yet
coexist. In the visuals, I use them to symbolize extremes, with worms crawling
through glitter to create something that’s oddly beautiful but feels wrong.
That tension is the point.
4. From the haunting vocals to the thunderous
instrumentation, “DEATH” is both aggressive and vulnerable. How do you balance
raw power and emotional clarity in your writing?
I usually write
the screamed parts first; they’re rhythmic and primal. They help me lock into
the emotional core of the song. Once that’s in place, I layer in the melodic
elements to reflect the duality I’m exploring. My background is actually in
classical and melodic singing, and I only started screaming a few years ago, so
it’s really important for me to honor both sides of my voice moving forward.
5. You’ve mentioned the symbolic use of worms in
your visuals. Can you elaborate on their significance and how they tie into
your broader vision as an artist?
Worms are soft
and pink, but they live in the dirt. People generally find them tolerable, even
if they hate other bugs. That contradiction is fascinating to me; they’re
fragile and resilient, gross and kind of cute. I see myself in that. I’m girlie
and gross, strong and soft, glittery and grimy. The worms are my perfect little
through-line. Plus, who doesn’t love a cute little worm?
6. You were classically trained before embracing a
heavier vocal style in 2022. What was that transition like for you, creatively
and personally?
Honestly, it was
terrifying. Learning to scream meant letting go of any desire to sound
“pretty.” You have to fully commit to making weird, ugly noises, and that’s
liberating. It forced me to move through my fear of looking stupid or failing.
I’ve loved heavy music forever, but always thought screaming was out of reach.
Being able to do it now feels like reclaiming a part of myself that has always
been hidden away.
7. Growing up in rural Maine seems to have left a deep imprint on your imagination. How does that eerie, natural environment continue to influence your sound and storytelling today?
Mainers are a
different breed. I grew up on a mountain across from a blueberry field,
spending hours alone in the woods. That kind of isolation makes you comfortable
with your own thoughts and forces your imagination to grow. There’s something
eerie and beautiful about being alone in nature. I still try to channel that
sense of wonder and stillness in my work, and more often than not, find myself
longing for the stillness beneath the pine trees of my home state.
8. There’s a strong cinematic and theatrical
presence in your work. Do film, literature, or other art forms play a role in
your creative process?
Absolutely. I’m a
very visual writer, and I actually start each song with a Pinterest board to
map out the vibe and aesthetic. I’m especially inspired by fashion and
photography. I love using the human body as a canvas for storytelling. It’s all
part of the same creative process to me: sound, image, feeling.
9. How did working with Grammy- and VMA-nominated
editor Mark Mayr shape the visual narrative of the upcoming “DEATH” music
video? What can we expect when it drops on August 15?
It was such an
unexpected and exciting collaboration. As a one-woman team, finding people who
truly get my vision is rare. I came
to the team with a concept and a Pinterest board, and they fully bought in. The
entire crew brought a cinematic edge that elevated everything. It feels like
the perfect visual counterpart to the world I’ve been building musically with
“ego” and “DEATH.”
10. Your lyrics often wrestle with identity,
illusion, and transformation. What have these themes taught you about yourself,
both as an artist and as a human being?
They’ve shown me
I’m more capable and confident than I thought. I’ve dealt with anxiety my whole
life, but screaming and performing is the one place where I never second-guess
myself. Behind a mic, I feel like the most fully realized version of who I am.
Being able to transform like that feels so powerful and really like a gift.
11. You’ve been praised by outlets like Metal
Sucks and ReGen Magazine. How does that recognition impact your mindset going
forward? Does it add pressure or fuel your drive?
It’s surreal and
deeply motivating. I work so hard on every piece of this project, from the
music to the visuals, and to have that recognized pushes me to keep going. I
actually thrive under pressure, so moments like this just remind me that I’m on
the right path.
12. Finally, what do you hope listeners walk away
with after hearing “DEATH”? Is there a message or feeling you want to linger
long after the final note?"
I hope it
encourages people to confront the cycles they’re stuck in. What pain are you
creating by refusing to sit in the gray areas of your life? How can you begin
to break free from that? Also, I want people to embrace the messiness of human
existence. Be the glitter in the dirt, and the dirt in the glitter.
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