Elly Jackson, better known by her stage name La Roux, is a synthpop singer from London, England, who began making music in 2006.
La Roux didn’t begin as Jackson’s solo project, but that’s what it has effectively become; the name originally stood for the collaboration between Jackson and producer Ben Langmaid. The pair made their breakthrough in 2009. They’d had plenty of buzz and exposure from alternative music critics, but whilst “In for the Kill” (the first single off of their self-titled debut record) was a modest success initially in its own right, it wasn’t until British dance musician Skream remixed it - under the title of the “Let’s Get Ravey Remix” - that the track really took off, thanks in no small part to the rise of the dubstep style that characterized that version. However, to the duo’s credit, they went on to prove their pop credentials with the UK number one “Bulletproof” as well as the likes of “Quicksand” and “I’m Not Your Toy”.
It took quite a while - five years, in fact - for Jackson to produce another record, and she could probably be fairly accused of failing to capitalise upon her initial success; “Trouble in Paradise”, released in July 2014, hasn’t met with the same level of sales as its predecessor. The title may well be prophetic, too, given that Langmaid departed - apparently acrimoniously - in the early stages of the album’s gestation; with her well-gelled red hair, Jackson was always the recognizable face of La Roux, but now, she’s the sole creative force behind the name, too.
Dermot Kennedy
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