Jenny Palacios Leans Into Awkward Adulthood on Nostalgic New Single “IYKYK”

Toronto pop-rock singer-songwriter Jenny Palacios is back with her new single, “IYKYK” – a wry, nostalgic anthem for anyone who’s made it to adulthood without ever quite feeling like they’ve “figured it out.” Leaning into 2000s rock-ballad guitar tones, sharp humour, and the quiet ache of arrested development, “IYKYK” speaks directly to the kids who never stopped feeling awkward, even after they grew up.

“I’ve always wanted to write a song called ‘IYKYK’ — I just really like the phrase,” Palacios explains. “Funny enough, this song didn’t start with that in mind. I had written a lot of lines about constantly feeling so awkward and out of place – just stuff that you’re kind of meant to figure out before you’re a grown adult. I’m always in places where everyone else knows exactly what to say or do next. I started asking myself, ‘Is this a unique experience?’ I knew I couldn’t be the only one with this kind of arrested development, so ‘IYKYK’ felt fitting. It’s like a plea to the weird kids who are now weird adults.”

Produced by Kyle Marchant (Nightwell), with additional writing from Palacios’ long-time collaborators, “IYKYK” leans fully into its pop-rock DNA. Built around a dense tapestry of guitars, the track revels in 2000s-inspired textures and big, emotive hooks. The team allowed themselves to chase nostalgia without restraint, following their instincts and stacking riffs until the song felt like a full-bodied, loser-anthem singalong.

“There are so many guitars on this song,” Palacios laughs. “The tones Kyle dialed really strike that 2000s rock-ballad, loser-anthem kind of world. We spent hours just writing riffs based on this one lead I had in the demo, and let ourselves get carried away with it. All three of us grew up in that era and were getting more and more stoked with the nostalgia of each riff that we just kept layering. We ended up with this almost arena-sounding but still playfully self-deprecating kind of track.”

Beneath the humour and hooks, “IYKYK” is also a vulnerable exploration of identity and femininity. Palacios uses the song to unpack what it means to grow into womanhood while feeling out of sync with the confidence and certainty she sees in others.

“I’ve always been pretty insecure about my femininity, as in how I carry myself as a woman,” she shares. “There are years of undetected damage from media consumption to address, but even in my everyday life, there are so many women who I look up to that just embody this specific certainty and confidence that I thought I’d have once I got older. I’m still waiting on it.”

With “IYKYK,” Jenny Palacios offers a soundtrack for late bloomers, misfits, and anyone still waiting to feel like they’ve finally grown into themselves – a knowing nod to those who understand, without needing it explained.