Kieran Press-Reynolds

2 weeks ago | pitchfork.com | Kieran Press-Reynolds

Lately, Bladee’s music has sounded like someone with a black hole in his stomach trying to irradiate his torment. Desperately reaching for the light, he’s exorcising his demons by recording a 30-track epic, reading books about alchemy and the occult and, for some reason, releasing an AI video game with James Ferraro and Microsoft. With increasing fame, his mission to escape ego and become King Nothingg has only gotten harder.

2 weeks ago | pitchfork.com | Kieran Press-Reynolds

The TikTok begins with a video of YouTube music reviewer Anthony Fantano dissing underground artist Nettspend’s debut album, BAD ASS F*CKING KID, saying he’s “not really a super skilled rapper.” There’s a pause with a fabricated Wikipedia entry saying Fantano is of Jewish descent (the actual page says “Sicilian descent”), and then a barrage of flashy Nettspend clips zip across the screen, woven into bursts of military gliders and colossal temples.

2 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Kieran Press-Reynolds

Illustration by Chris PanickerThe TikTok begins with a video of YouTube music reviewer Anthony Fantano dissing underground artist Nettspend’s debut album, BAD ASS F*CKING KID, saying he’s “not really a super skilled rapper.” There’s a pause with a fabricated Wikipedia entry saying Fantano is of Jewish descent (the actual page says “Sicilian descent”), and then a barrage of flashy Nettspend clips zip across the screen, woven into bursts of military gliders and colossal temples.

3 weeks ago | pitchfork.com | Kieran Press-Reynolds

The premise is simple: Playing a cool kid named Boyfriend, you’re desperately trying to take your Girlfriend on a date. But her demonic parents won’t give their darling to any schmuck, so you must fight them and their henchmen in vicious rap battles to win their approval. It’s played like a rhythm game—think Dance Dance Revolution, Osu, Guitar Hero—where you have to mash buttons in time with notes on screen.

3 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Kieran Press-Reynolds

Illustration by Chris PanickerThe premise is simple: Playing a cool kid named Boyfriend, you’re desperately trying to take your Girlfriend on a date. But her demonic parents won’t give their darling to any schmuck, so you must fight them and their henchmen in vicious rap battles to win their approval. It’s played like a rhythm game—think Dance Dance Revolution, Osu, Guitar Hero—where you have to mash buttons in time with notes on screen.