Keeping things interesting, hip-hop newcomer drops Lil Peep drops “The Brightside” from forthcoming project, Come over When You’re Sober, Pt. 1.

20-year old rapper-singer Lil Peep (born Gustav Åhr) is quite an interesting guy. He’s interesting in regards to his background, personality, and his abundance of body ink. He drops a new EP/mini-album, entitled Come over When You’re Sober, Pt. 1 on August 11, 2017 September 1.  This represents his first project of note.  Ahead of Come over When You’re Sober, Pt. 1, Peep released two singles: “Benz Truck” and “The Brightside.”

“The Brightside” is representative of the new-school of hip-hop.  The beat is clearly part of the rap idiom – slick, anchoring the production work down.  As far as palette of sounds itself, there’s some rock crossover that’s interesting.  On “Benz Truck,” we heard Lip Peep incorporate guitars into the production work, giving the record a unique sound.  Here, the guitars are taken to the next level, fueling the entirety of the production.  This is definitely alternative rap, but there are parallels to a number of other rap artists, contemporary and some established.  The energy stands out her for sure.

The biggest con about “The Brightside” is that it doesn’t sound like traditional rap/hip-hop.  For the open-minded listener, there’s clear appeal.  The rock vibes definitely suit Lil Peep, who looks like a rock star with tattoos galore.  For the more traditional listener who is looking for bars, this sounds completely foreign.

Final Thoughts 

So, how does “The Brightside” stack up? Again, as aforementioned, it sort of depends on what you look for in rap and hip-hop music these days. All genres have grown blurred, so if you keep that in mind, “The Brightside” fits right into the eclectic pie.  Personally, that’s the case. This isn’t game changing as pitched vocals and eclectic sounds have been invited into hip-hop for years now, but there’s something mysterious and appealing about what Lil Peep is doing.

Lil Peep • Come over When You’re Sober, Pt. 1 • Lil Peep • Release: 9.1.17

Photo Credit: Lil Peep