At the point in which hyperpop and wonky future bass collide, sits the sounds of boundary-pushing New York-based producer rebelyay. Despite hyperpop being in the mouths of a lot of people thanks to the likes of Charli XCX and A.G. Cook, the genre still sits beyond the curve of pop’s cutting edge. Rather than revel in the trend itself, rebelyay opts to push the envelope even further, perfectly exemplified by his first single of the year, “Dye Your Hair.”
Embarking from a shimmering soundscape that recalls some of Flume’s deeper cuts, the warped and heady vocal glides atop the almost glacial synths with a dutifully crisp auto-tuned croon. As the textures form around it, the confidence in the vocals delivery grows with it, ramping up the anticipation for the break with truly gripping aplomb. Aggressive and gritty sounds realises this sonic plateau, carrying you into the adrenaline-pumping drop-meets-chorus passage that sweeps in like a freight train.
Taking you through the motions once again, “Dye Your Hair” dynamically brings down the energy with a view to of course ramp it back up again. However, he’s not done with surprises just yet as while you’re getting used to the pacing, a very Rustie-inspired bridge preludes the second chorus, completely commanding your attention and further compounding the impact of the following switch up.
The harrowing lyricism found within “Dye Your Hair” contradicts the tracks overall vibrancy, with rebelyay stating that, “‘Dye Your Hair’ is about a time where I felt extremely alone with myself and my thoughts. I felt like I was transforming into someone that I hated and I couldn’t stop it from happening; my self-hatred was at an all-time high.” This anger and exasperation is perfectly described, and if this track is anything to go by, his forthcoming debut album will be a release to remember.
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