Two years ago, I would have told you Gen Z was in a music drought. A generation
that might lose good music production because TikTok and the algorithm
are so focused on a quick dopamine hit.
One year ago, I would have said "there's hope," after seeing acts
emerging like Wednesday,
Geese, and
feeble little horse (to
name a few).
Now, I'm all in on Gen Z. In fact, it's the majority of music that is exciting
me right now.
Putting that in the concrete this week is
Lucy Bedroque, a new
digicore/rage
artist from LA (a Gen Z rapper).
I have loved seeing the evolution and really
creative output of slayr (similar
genre), but seeing Lucy take that same, heavily
Playboi Carti and
SOPHIE inspired hip hop and give it a full other
dimension on Unmusique blew me away.
↗
2025
Unmusique
Lucy Bedroque
digicorerageexperimental hip hopedm
I'd point you to 2010 Justin Bieber as a starting point, with weirdly
beautiful, high pitched and extremely animated vocals. My personal fav is
probably G6 Anthem, with more of an EDM drive to it. Prepare for extreme
overstimulation.
Lucy's been in this "rage" lane for a while, but took a 180° detour in 2024 on
an EP where they released their most popular song on streaming, How to Pretend. This one is totally different: sounds like an internet fairy came to
earth, heard a lot of Imogen Heap and a little reggaeton, went back into the
internet and tried to create an "earth" song.
Then a day after all this they release a new album,
c, where I can't help
but notice Richard D. James in
writing creds?
Anyway, these Gen Z maximalist hip hop artists are masterful producers. I place
a very high value on self production, and on Unmusique Lucy blows my mind with
what they're able to do with fairly minimal production help.
This rabbit hole also led me back to a song from earlier this year I initially
dismissed.
A strong, fast, electronic dance/hip-hop beat with great pop vocals and lyrics
that sound like they were plagiarized from a Taylor Swift B-side.
It's not all explicit, aggressive hip hop this week, because I also have to
talk about...
↗
2026
Role Model Hermit
mary in the junkyard
indie rockart rockmidwest emo
This is my current pick for album of the year.
I saw this labeled midwest emo somewhere, which made me a little hesitant.
While I do hear a little of that sound, what pulled me in was her gorgeous voice. There's
something really compelling about hearing that voice sing such mysterious lyrics.
I also watched a few interviews with the band. They're just the most
down-to-earth people. It's endearing to see them juggle normal lives and mundane
day jobs while trying to accelerate their music career. The lead singer tells a
story about literally shucking oysters all day on release day, then playing a
show that night.
The first track to point you to is Blood, which stretches a killer riff into a song
that pulls you and pushes you out like you're floating in the ocean.
If you handle that, try Mouse, which is much more exploratory and intimate.
Probably my personal fav. Gorgeous arrangements with dense lyrics that can be
seen as very silly or very deep.
Finally, Crash Landing has a durable rhythm section that I could tolerate going on for hours.
Nate Amos, of
Water From Your Eyes, came
through with a twangy, stripped back “indie country” record. This song was the
lead single and probably remains my fav from this release. This is a really
hard one to dislike.
I must admit: I'm not really familiar with either of these artists, but I came
across this banger that Abby's had heavy in rotation, so I have to shout it out.
In my mind, it's a Spanish blend of
bedroom pop, hip hop, and dance. I
don't understand a single word.
Atmospheric, footwork new
single from the legendary electronic group
The Avalanches. If you haven't
heard of them, you've certainly heard of the artists they've collaborated with
in their 25+ year lifespan. New album out next month. This one also got me back
into Because I'm Me
from their 2016 album
Wildflower.
That's the desk this week. Reply and tell me what's on yours.
