Mystify

Lurleen Ladd

Reclamation · 2026

Austin singer-songwriter Lurleen Ladd brings a fresh perspective to Mystify, the 1987 INXS classic, transforming the familiar hit into a sultry, intimate performance shaped by decades of life experience. Featuring acclaimed blues guitarist Jackie Venson, the track revisits the original through a more mature lens while preserving its emotional pull. The song appears on Reclamation, Ladd’s fourth album, released October 10, 2026. The project reimagines iconic songs from the 1980s, including music by Bruce Springsteen, Rick Springfield, Robert Palmer, John Mellencamp, Duran Duran, Dire Straits, Talking Heads and Huey Lewis & the News. Rather than simply revisiting the past, Ladd uses these songs to explore reinvention, creativity and the decision to pursue long-held ambitions on her own terms. The Mystify music video, released October 2, brings the track’s cinematic mood to Austin. Ladd performs alongside producer and pianist Eddy Hobizal at a grand piano before moving through the city at night, including the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge. The video also features the Texas State Capitol and the Remember the Ladies mural at the LINE Hotel Austin, commemorating the centenary of women's right to vote. Venson’s blues guitar adds another dimension to the arrangement, while backing vocals from Chantel Deniese, Akina Adderly and Alice Spencer bring together a notable group of Austin musicians. The collaboration also reflects Ladd’s commitment to supporting women in music through Wavemakers Women and Music, the community she founded to empower women musicians over 40. For Ladd, Mystify connects the dreams of youth with the perspective that comes from experience. First encountered during her high school years, the song now carries a different meaning, shaped by the years between those early ambitions and her return to music. On Reclamation, that perspective becomes the foundation for a personal reconnection with the songs and aspirations that have stayed with her.