Jo Millett’s It Hurts, released on 12th December 2025, is not a song that tries to impress, it tries to tell the truth. Hailing from Norwich, England, Millett delivers an original single that feels deeply personal from the very first note. There’s an immediate sense that this track comes from lived experience rather than concept, drawing the listener into an emotional space that feels tense, vulnerable, and uncomfortably honest in the best way.
Working alongside producer Tom Joy and arranger Alexander Carson, Millett achieves a sound that is both expansive and intimate. The emotional weight of It Hurts is crystallised in one of its most confronting lyrical moments “Aren’t I old enough now, I’m experienced, Now that the flame’s gone out, are you listening to the sludge, Pouring out from my face , It’s coming out, My eyes, my nose, my mouth, My God, it hurts so bad.” In these lines, Millett lays bare the frustration of emotional maturity going unheard, allowing deeply suppressed pain to surface in vivid, almost unbearable detail. It’s a moment of complete vulnerability where the song abandons restraint, forcing the listener to sit with the discomfort rather than escape it. The production never overwhelms the message, but it certainly amplifies it. The contrast between the restrained verses and the surging choruses is striking, with the lead guitar line in the chorus acting as a genuine emotional release. Backing vocals add further scale, giving the track a “huge” feeling without sacrificing its raw edge.
Influences from Cream, Kate Bush, and Frank Zappa subtly shape the song’s structure and melodic choices, particularly in its dramatic shifts and unconventional vocal phrasing. Lyrically, however, It Hurts stands entirely on its own. The song explores the complicated reality of family trauma, forgiveness, and emotional residue, specifically the pain that lingers even after relationships improve. Millett’s vocals are intentionally imperfect at times, strained or fragile, and that choice makes the story hit harder rather than cleaner.
What makes It Hurts significant is its refusal to smooth over discomfort. Every element of the track is designed to create tension, which finally breaks in a powerful closing section that feels earned rather than forced. As a live set closer across Norwich venues, the song clearly resonates. It Hurts is a bold statement from Jo Millett, one that proves emotional risk can be the strongest artistic move of all.
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