Hailey Hermida is pushing boundaries and turning up the volume with her latest single, “straitjacket”, released just over a week ago. The punk-rock anthem marks a sonic shift for the rising artist, as she leans heavily into gritty guitars, emotionally charged vocals, and the raw energy that defined early ’00s pop-punk. This acts as the follow-up to her previous single, “sad boy shit”.
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Written by Hailey Hermida, Onique Williams, Riley Urick, and Will Yanez, whilst it was produced by Riley Urick, “straitjacket” builds on the momentum of her last release, which quickly gained traction online and has pulled in nearly 200,000 YouTube views. This new single delivers an explosive sound and confrontational tone, capturing the frustration of being boxed in by other people’s standards, where expressing your full self is seen as something to be corrected or controlled.
Touching on themes of mental health, societal pressure, and feeling misunderstood, Hermida forges a deep connection with her audience, ensuring this track resonates and leaves a lasting impact. Drawing inspiration from ’00s rock, she skillfully adapts it into the current pop-punk revival that’s thriving both in mainstream and indie scenes. The song’s dynamic shifts mirror the tightening of a straitjacket’s straps—each tonal change adding to the claustrophobic, intense atmosphere that drives the track.
“’straitjacket’ pushes back against the ways society tries to control our decisions,” Hermida stated. “There’s a pressure to make yourself small, to not be too emotional, too opinionated, too honest, and when you push back, they make you feel like you’re the crazy one. That’s where the title came from. It’s a metaphor for how people try to control you by making you doubt yourself.”
Musically, this newly released track sees Hailey Hermida diving headfirst into louder, grittier territory. The track taps into the raw spirit of early ’00s pop-punk, blending the fierce urgency of Paramore’s debut-era sound with darker, synth-driven undercurrents that bring Billie Eilish’s moody production style to mind. It’s a clear departure from the more pop-electronic feel of her earlier releases, marking a new chapter that’s sharper, more unapologetic, and rooted in emotional release.
Talking about the track, Hermida said: “’straitjacket’ came out of a moment where everything felt too loud. Too much in my head. I didn’t write it to prove anything, it was more of a release. As the track started to build, it felt like all the pressure I had been carrying finally had somewhere to go.”
She continued by saying, “’straitjacket’ isn’t polished, punk-rock doesn’t need to be. It’s supposed to feel like a scream from the inside. I can’t think of anything more visceral than physically being put in a straitjacket, and that’s what the song is supposed to feel like. Specifically, the chorus where the singing feels more staccato, it’s supposed to feel like you are struggling to move and breathe.”
Hailey Hermida’s journey into music began in her early teens, when songwriting became a way to navigate the uncertainty and emotions of the pandemic, back in 2020. What started as a private outlet soon became something bigger. Her first live show at The Mint in 2023 sparked a love for performing that continues to drive her today. Since then, she’s been working closely with Grammy-nominated producer Riley Urick and songwriter Onique “Sparrow” Williams, whose experience with major artists has helped Hermida find her own bold voice in punk rock.
With “straitjacket”, this rising pop-punk female singer-songwriter continues to carve out her place in the alt-pop space, offering a rallying cry for anyone who’s ever felt silenced, sidelined, or dismissed. It’s fierce, it’s loud, and it’s unmistakably her.
“straitjacket”, by Hailey Hermida, is available to download and stream, right now, across all platforms, via Crunchy Ankles 32.