Hi Ethel Cain fans! I’m a fan from Japan and I wrote an introductory essay (~3,200 words) on Ethel Cain, tracing her trajectory from the early bedroom EPs through the Preacher’s Daughter trilogy. My aim was threefold: to firmly situate her within the lineage of Southern Gothic, to read her in relation to Lana Del Rey and Bruce Springsteen, and to draw out the connections to queer theory (especially Halberstam’s notion of “metronormativity”).
Originally written for Japanese readers, so some passages reference Japanese cultural context, but I think most of it should read clearly in English. Would love to hear thoughts from this community.
Hoping to see her perform in Japan someday.
https://takebht.substack.com/p/trauma-ill-always-love-you-an-introduction