Ones2Watch Home

Photo: Alice Baxley

In the world of up-and-coming artists, it has been said that the key to success is a combination of raw skill, learned talent, and sheer personality, and luckily Junior Mesa has all three. The California singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist returns with Cirque Du Freak,  his first project since 2019's Peace. Following an epilepsy diagnosis that flipped his perspective on life and the creative process,  Cirque Du Freak is a triumphant reintroduction from one of music's finest rising stars. With his signature alt-rock-meets-indie-pop style, Junior Mesa flexes his affinity for eclecticism over five rotation-ready anthems.  

Plagued equally by a crushing confusion and an undying hope, Junior Mesa harnesses his feelings of alienation and channels them into pure creative energy on his newest project. Cirque Du Freak is an exercise in letting go, being liberated in knowing control is an illusion and pure chaos is the norm.  Reveling in this realization, Junior Mesa experiences a cathartic creative flourish as he explores his eclectic indie-pop style, blurring multiple genres in his wake. From the slick basslines on the EP opener "Pushing Away" to the hypnotic psychedelia decorating "Paranoia Dreams," Junior Mesa seems to be steadily working towards the musical stratosphere with each concurrent track.  

Blending disparate elements, ranging from funk to '80s pop,  Cirque Du Freak  is a fantastic offering from a young artist with near-limitless potential. Across the EP's five tracks, Junior Mesa invites the listeners into his own absurd and surreal world, while also providing them a glance into a mind in the midst of a perspective shift.  

Listen to  Cirque Du Freak below: