8/10
Few artists are able to make tradition feel genuinely disruptive, but on 'SlutTrad', SexyTadhg finds exactly that balance. Blending Irish folk influences with queer storytelling and contemporary pop sensibilities, the EP challenges assumptions about identity, culture and belonging without ever losing sight of the joy that sits at its core.
Rather than treating Irish tradition as something untouchable, 'SlutTrad' approaches it as something living and evolving. Throughout the EP, SexyTadhg explores what it means to reconnect with a culture that once felt inaccessible, reshaping familiar sounds and themes through a perspective rarely represented within those spaces.
Opening with 'Róisín Dubh', the project immediately establishes its intentions. Drawing from traditional Irish music and sean-nós influences, the track feels both reverential and transformative, embracing heritage while subtly questioning who gets to participate in it. It sets the tone for an EP that is less concerned with preserving the past than expanding its possibilities.
That sense of reinvention continues across the record. Traditional instrumentation and folk-inspired melodies intersect with pop flourishes and theatrical songwriting, creating a sound that feels distinctly contemporary while remaining deeply connected to its roots. The result is a collection that resists easy categorisation, reflecting the complexity of the stories it tells.
Lead single 'Townie Girl' emerges as one of the EP’s most charismatic moments. Celebrating the women who influenced the artist's understanding of femininity, confidence and individuality, the track is packed with personality and affection. Its fusion of trad influences and dancefloor energy captures the spirit of the EP perfectly, honouring everyday cultural figures while elevating them into something almost mythic.
What makes 'SlutTrad' particularly compelling is its refusal to separate its themes. Queerness and Irishness are not presented as opposing forces, nor are tradition and self-expression treated as incompatible ideas. Instead, SexyTadhg allows them to coexist naturally, creating songs that feel both deeply personal and culturally resonant.
Across the EP, there is a recurring sense of reclamation—not through confrontation, but through presence. By simply occupying these spaces on their own terms, SexyTadhg broadens the image of what contemporary Irish culture can look and sound like. The songs celebrate individuality without losing their sense of community, finding strength in both self-expression and shared experience.
With 'SlutTrad', SexyTadhg delivers a project that feels confident in its vision and refreshingly unconcerned with convention. Rich in character, humour and heart, it is an EP that embraces contradiction, proving that heritage and progress are not opposing ideas, but parts of the same ongoing story. Stream the collection below
