Jess Smyth, aka Biig Piig, is an Irish singer, based in West London but spent a majority of her childhood in Spain. Her latest release ‘Cuenta Lo’ is sung entirely in Spanish, honouring her upbringing. ‘Cuenta Lo’ is the singers first track of 2021 after multiple singles in 2020 including ‘Feels Right’ and ‘Switch’.
‘Cuenta Lo’, which translates in to English as ‘count it’, is centred around human greed. Biig Piig stated that the track is “an alter-ego-driven song about money, sex and power.” The track has a haunting beat with drill-like clicks. The vocals start by being whispered to you, creating a spooky atmosphere whilst listening, invoking the feeling ‘as if we’re in the shoes of a high-level player, oozing through shady bars and casinos, getting silent respect from everyone we pass.’ Biig Piig is experimental in her neo-soul music, similarly saluting her Spanish roots in tracks such as ‘Perdida’ released in 2018.
Before music, Biig Piig worked in a range of roles including receptionist, bartender and a poker dealer at Londons Hippodrome. The music video to ‘Cuenta Lo’ is focused on the time the singer spent as a poker dealer. Directed by Nono Ayuso and Rodrigo Inada, the eerie video portrays the singer as a poker dealer again, with several players at her table. The video shows the players as greedy and money-obsessed, eventually moving in to supernatural, demonic images of the poker players. The singer stated that the ‘frighteningly special’ video is ‘based around when I used to be a poker dealer, and it’s about the coldness and greediness that money can bring in all industries… including music.”
Following on from 2020’s success with tracks such as ‘Feels Right’, Biig Piig has switched up her style again with ‘Cuenta Lo’. The almost sinister feel to the track with the ominous music video differs it from other releases but is just as exciting and new. The track has been deservedly included in NME’s ‘Best New Track’ playlist (on Spotify). As part of the Nine8 collective, Biig Piig stated that ‘Nine8 is all people of a similar age and ethos creating a safe space to ask questions and help each other out.’
NME’s Best New Tracks: the week’s biggest and best releases from…@slowthai @NipseyHussle@taylorswift13 @DUALIPA @HeadieOne x @burnaboy @Central_Cee @KingsOfLeon @work1ngmensclub @vynehall @BiigPiigMusic & more! Listen and subscribe: https://t.co/wFTy0Uny8e pic.twitter.com/WM3U9RU9bS — NME (@NME) February 12, 2021
Speaking to Dork Magazine, the singer stated her future plans for the year to come, ’I’ve got a lot of plans for 2021 for releases, as for shows though I’ve a plan but we’re just going to have to wait and see if it’ll be allowed. If it is though I think it’ll be really special the way I’m planning to do – it’ll be more of an experience than any live shows I’ve done in the past.’
