Written Before Listen
Bladee is an artist who I’ve been familiar with for quite sometime but never took a big dive on. I listened to 333 once when it came out and I did listen to “Icedancer” too. When it comes to Bladee’s music, he brings a very colorful approach to trap music. With that being said, he released an album called “The Fool” recently and I plan to review It so without further ado, let’s get into it.
Production
Bladee is a trap artist, Simple as that, but it’s more than that though. As production goes, the melodies are melodic and otherworldly. The drum patterns are intricate but never too out of pocket. Think of Pi’erre Bourne but more atmospheric and less psychedelic, or NAV but less robotic. I guess that could wrap up Bladee’s production choice in a nutshell.
Genre-Bending
As a trap artist comes, there are surely artists that genre bend. Surely R&B is a common one and so as Psychedelia. Bladee on the other hand emphasizes the electronic side of trap music taking elements of Trance music and to a lesser extent, Hyperpop. Surely he isn’t the first as artists like Yung Lean, Chief Keef, Sematary and A$AP Ferg have done it in the past. When it’s all said and done though, I think he has done the crossover strongest.
Ideology
Bladee isn’t an artist that talks about drugs, sex and money for the majority of the time. Surely he is boastful at points with songs like “Hotel Breakfast” but some of these songs have an ideological or religious standpoint. The song “I Think…” goes into his philosophical beliefs. Songs like “Desiree” and “Search True”, he leans towards the Theistic belief as he talks about praying and searching for faith. Bladee Is a very spiritual person as he dives in the philosophical and ideological senses of it.
Influences
As influences go, Bladee tends to lean towards the more atmospheric and drugged out realm of trap with the slight Hyperpop aesthetic. Artists such as NAV and Playboi Carti come into mind when it comes to tracks like “Let’s Ride”, “I Think…” and “I Want It That Way”. Overall, I think he has a unique array of influences and they are done in a great way. Thats all that could really be said.
Cons
Bladee is not your most versatile artist. He is not the most one dimensional either but he surely sticks to one style. I will also say that it sounds 20 minutes longer than what it initially is, and there is not really a track I truly loved either. With that being said, everything else is a vibe.
Verdict
This is a lot like the other Bladee projects I’ve listened to. It’s short but not the most versatile. It’s not like a Playboi Carti album where his style gets revived with features and production either. Luckily Bladee’s style is good nonetheless and it’s only harmed in a partial way.
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