Cheeky Velvet - "Baby's First EP"

Artist: Cheeky Velvet

Label: Distrokid

Released: 14 November 2025

Produced by: Hayden Johns

Personnel:

Jackie Boccacio: Vocals

Zane Jevernig: Guitar
Ellen Hartwig: Bass

Erin Logan: Saxophone

Casper Hall: Drums

Running Order:

1) Ignition

2) Hickey

3) Crazy For You

4) Toy Boy

5) Sugar Daddy

6) God's Gift

7) Slay Queen

8) Placebo

Genres: Girl Rock, Pop/Rock, New Wave, Jazz

Jacqueline Boccacio (Cheeky Velvet) is a Brisbane born self-distributing pop chanteuse who started out in 2015 with her first eponymous EP.  A couple of subsequent releases saw her defect to Melbourne for a few years until she decided to return to her hometown in 2024.

Baby's First EP is basically her eponymous EP repackaged with the omission of the tracks "Velvet World" and "Bittersweet" and some new tracks included, namely "Ignition", "Sugar Daddy", and "Slay Queen".

This is a fun filled EP in which Velvet wears her musical badges on her sequinned suit with pride.  If you like Blondie, Toni Basil, Transvision Vamp, Queen B, and Shampoo then you'll love this EP.

Topic wise, she addresses the love of reckless youth with songs like "Hickey", obsessive boyfriends in "Crazy For You", lazy boyfriends in "Toy Boy", girls who fall for rich old men "Sugar Daddy" and arrogant lovers in "God's Gift".

Production wise it has the ability to appeal to both sexes equally with girls being able to endear to her hybrid riot grrrl coupled with pop princess, and the guys loving the fact that the EP is brimming over with buzzing rock guitars and powerful beats which is something that we don't hear much from modern pop princesses who are mostly into country, folk and R&B.

Whilst "Hickey" is a strong pop number very reminiscent of Toni Basil's "Mickey", my two favourite tracks are "Crazy For You" with the cooler-as-fuck Debbie Harryesque vocals and harmonies in the chorus and "Sugar Daddy" with it's 60's type rock riff cranked up into oblivion with lots of overdriven piles of guitars and pouty vocals that conjures up vibes of Wendy James and Belinda Leith from UK pop/punk acts Transivision Vamp and Queen B.

Velvet's more mature and serious side is saved for the last with the closing track "Placebo" with it's slinky cocktail bar jazz sound and some lovely moody sax playing in it.

This woman deserves to be Australia's next Veronicas, Katy Perry and Charlie XCX with her pop sensibilities and the exciting, entertaining high energy stage shows she puts on.

Definitely an artist to watch out for again in 2026.

Rating: 5/5