Julia Jacklin stopped hiding behind characters.

Yes, her songwriting shifted from storytelling to confession.

The songs on Don’t Let the Kids Win (2016) are largely character studies and vignettes. “Pool Party” is a third-person narrative. “Coming of Age” feels like a scene from a movie. She was crafting stories, often observing from a distance.

By Pre Pleasure (2022), the “I” is almost always her. “Complex” is a direct, uncomfortable self-examination. “End of the Earth” is a raw love letter. She wrote more in real time—less polishing, more immediate emotional truth. She’s said in interviews she stopped worrying about making the narrator likeable.

The songs got shorter and tighter too. No wasted lines. It’s like she decided she owed the listener honesty over entertainment.

If you liked the first album for its wit and charm, the third album hits different—it’s the sound of someone who stopped performing for you.