My buddy despatched me a message a couple of weeks in the past:
“little Friday afternoon deal with for you Charli XCX x Billie Eilish singing about pants.”
This buddy appears to have a wildly eclectic and engaging style in music, one which I’m fortunate and glad to continuously take discover of and dip into. And that written observe to introduce the music is ideal. Just like the music, it’s blunt and in-your-face.
I’m very new to Charli XCX, regardless of her being one of the vital influential artists on the planet proper now. Upon investigation, I noticed her described as a “feral celebration lady” and, in her personal phrases, “messy celebration lady, trustworthy, blunt, unstable.”
On “Guess” the spirit of those descriptions is honored to the fullest extent on a brisk, financial electro-thrash with lewd and humorous lyrics with essentially the most addictive groove to it.
The observe is launched with Charli XCX asking with a voice made to sound prefer it’s coming down a cellphone line:
Hey, Billie, you there?
In fact, Billie Eilish is one other of the largest artists on the planet proper now, and her look on the observe is impressed. However extra on her in a second.
There’s hardly time to breathe earlier than Charli let’s out somewhat moan and launches headfirst into what could possibly be a proposal, an invite, or a problem:
You wanna guess the colour of my underwear?
You wanna know what I bought happening down there?
The fractured beat and squelching electronics within the background are sparse and harsh, and are additionally my favourite factor concerning the observe. They make you wish to transfer.
On the very least, even should you’re dance-phobic, you’ll be tapping your foot incessantly. It stops and begins and builds and falls in simply the precise locations to pique your curiosity – just like the refined beat drop earlier than Billie Eilish begins her verse.
Charli has already been pretty lyrically frank within the first verse, and Billie continues this in her verse, with a slight twist and a extra sultry vocal supply:
Don’t must guess the colour of your underwear
Already know what you bought happening down there
It’s the lacy black pair with the little bows
Those I picked out for you in Tokyo
I veer between admiring how brazen it’s, being embarrassed to be listening to it, discovering it type of ridiculous in its blatant, teasing, lusty sexuality, and wanting to leap throughout the room throughout its period.
To be honest, it’s hardly correct to name it a music; it’s extra a bunch of beats and trancey moments expertly glued along with impolite lyrics spat and whispered excessive.
However it’s additionally essentially the most addictively repeatable listening expertise I’ve had shortly.
The humor of the subject material, the teasing nature of the characters on the centre of the music, the supply, the beats… it’s all good.
The final line asks:
You wish to guess if we’re severe about this music?
I don’t suppose it issues in the event that they’re severe or not. What I might guess is that they’re having nice enjoyable with it and that comes by means of in what the listener hears.
I’m glad my buddy turned me on to it, pun meant. Whether or not it’s an announcement of intent, a manifesto, a stream of consciousness, or a large joke is unclear and unimportant. What issues is it ought to get even essentially the most reluctant dancers to wish to leap round for two minutes.
That a lot I don’t must guess.