LISTEN: Sovereign Citizen’s “No Way José (Not Today Pepe)” is catchy psychedelic rock with lo-fi tendencies

Sovereign Citizen is an outsider musician based in London. The elusive and genre-defying artist began releasing music in 2021 with the ripping, lo-fi punk anthem “Corporate Propaganda.” Since then, the artist has released several singles, each attacking rock tropes in a different way. Sovereign Citizen’s expansive approach was consolidated on the hypnotically chaotic Forgotten English Rebel Spirit LP released by the artist in 2022. The artist thrives on unpredictability, positioning himself as a rock ‘n’ roll shapeshifter ready to transform into the sonic landscape that suits the emotions he’s trying to express.

For his latest move, Sovereign Citizen combines his lo-fi tendencies with infectious melodies and bright guitar tones on “No Way José (Not Today Pepe).” The artist’s latest single, and first of 2024, is a warping ballad with punk attitude with a touch of whimsical pop thrown in the mix. An artist with a diverse sound like Citizen could get lost in trying to do too much at once, adding unnecessary genre changes or tempo shifts to a song. Instead, Citizen sounds focused and controlled on “No Way José.” The artist crafts infectious melodies and delivers them in a minimalist yet impactful arrangement, with one foot in grunge and the other in surf rock. The subtle fusion work paid off when Sovereign Citizen delivered a statement piece of a single with “No Way José (Not Today Pepe).”

“This song is about Julián Leyzaola, the ruthless police officer who took down many of the drug cartels in Tijuana, Mexico,” the artist explains. “He was reportedly offered an $80,000 a week bribe by the cartels to allow them to continue their operations. He refused the offer and instead ordered the police to violently crack down on drug crime in the city using any means necessary.”