I don’t think fantano was particularly harsh tho Brakence is using his album as a platform for bragging which counters his normal aesthetic and only hurts the project. I’ve been a big fan for a long time and I’d only rate it slightly higher edit: this still gets weekly responses, and that baffles me. you're allowed to like something that i don't like. if you like flex bars, go enjoy said bars. i personally find it corny when someone uses their music as a way to brag rather than reflect (obv theres positive reflection that isn't blatant bragging)
@@jay_344 but that bragging is all part of the ego facade on this record that he is attempting to break down over the duration of the album. Fantano kind of mentions that being a possibility but dismisses it when that is literally the concept of the record. I wish Brakence would have included more of the AI narration on the album that he teased over the rollout leading to the album's release. It makes the character of the album a little more fleshed out compared to only having her come in on Introvert
@@mattspyro people that actually looked at the lyrics as the aspect of prevalent ego breakdown that goes through the album as part of the "I am the greatest, I am the strongest, I am the best" self-protection façade. if you're listening to 1 track in a playlist then it does come off as ego-ey. but alot of this album isnt made for chucking random songs besides a few in a playlist and calling it a day.
coming back to this 10 months later and i have to say that, as some wise commenter once said "ranking this album this low should be grounds for public execution"
venus fly trap is 1000% about him being sexually assaulted which is why the lyrics come off as weird if you aren't viewing it from that perspective. such a misunderstood album and this video made me sad lmaoooo
I'm really glad I went to the comments first for this video. Decided to check out the album after seeing all the glowing praise, and absolutely loved it. Couldn't disagree with this review more
I think this album is a perfect representation of being young and mentally ill while getting fame on the internet. I wouldn't expect Fantano to be able to relate to these feelings or understand that this is exactly how someone would process them in the moment. It's amazing and a totally unique sound and performance level for this genre. Strong 9.
Fantano apparently needs the deepest of lyrics in every single musical piece he consumes which i myself find extremly jaring i listen to music because of the sonics of it not necessarily how thought provoking a song might be lol i think its fine to sometimes just lay back and enjoy music for what it is instead of trying to get something more out of it
Yup, this album is the musical equivalent to a mental illness breakdown. I appreciate Fantano for giving it a shot but he definitely isn’t the demo for a project like this
it's cause these days kids only listen to music typically for the way it sounds, not for the depth and storytelling that was much bigger and a necessity in music writing a decade ago.
@@davidentendu I agree, quality lyrics and story telling are amazing for a song to have. But, I don’t think a song necessarily has to have these in order to be enjoyed. The actual music itself has a big effect too. Sometimes the feeling of the music outweighs the actual lyrics, which is what I feel with this album. Imo, even if a song had the best lyrics and story telling, if the actual music was horrible and didn’t sound good most people wouldn’t listen to it. I prefer some songs more for their beat and feeling, while with others the lyrics are what really strike me. At the end of the day music is subjective lol
Hear me out, I thought the lyrics were perfect for the emotional message of the album. He is continuously leaning into narcissistic traits-grandiosity, emptiness, projection, obsessive intense emotion, hyping up, sinking down, being impacted easily by attention, glamorizing vices, dysfunction, and high-functioning depression-all of which fabricating a masked personally describing their world through a shallow lens. He contrasts that with more thoughtful lyrics about what’s underneath the bravado. I thought it worked. He uses a lot of slang for his age group that’s socially accepted and popular, reinforcing that mask that he’s part of the in-crowd and has amassed fandom, yet underneath that is an isolated feeling person. Thanks for reading!
Yea I also don’t get what everyone is saying about the lyrics. They are very angsty and overtly emotional but it’s intentional and makes sense. He is in many ways leaning into the ridiculousness of these extreme feelings… I mean, the album is called hypochondriac. It’s aware of how it sounds. I like emo music and can appreciate some good angst. Nothing wrong with indulging those negative overly depressed thoughts at times. it can be a cathartic experience to give into those thoughts digging away at you.
It isn't very deep at all though, even when he's reaching in his feels the lyrics are often super shallow. I think he needs to seriously work on his wordplay, big agree with Fantano on this one.
Imma be honest, I kinda do get where he is coming from. It's the same issue quadeca and Rich Brian have with their previous albums. The performances and the production are absolutely exceptional, but, man the lyrics are sometimes just downright cringey/immature and quite a lot of the times, they do make me wince especially on songs like introvert. That being said, it ain't a 5. Maybe a strong 6 - light 7 because the production, the album flow and his emotional performance in nearly every track far outweighs the lyrics imo.
@@standfx LMAO goes to show that for most people music is just vibes, and that is totally a valid way of listening to music. I mean, people really did play Kdot's Swimming Pools at parties since the vibe fit the activity of drinking when in reality dude is saying how harmful and damaging it us, the frat bros don't give a fuck though.
My problem with this review is he only focused on the lyricism of the album. Not the vocal techniques and complex production Brakence achieved on this. Not to mention the whole record feeling coheive with each song transitioning almost perfectly between each other. And I think the lyrics were more written in the perspective of an alter ego type personality instead of a directly his irl thoughts. In my opinion it was a very good narative throughout the album of how ego can tear someone apart. High 8 for me personality.
And he only focuses on the lyrics that could be *considered* egotistical, none of the truly emotional, self deprecating, and heartfelt lyrics that brakence actually meant
@@a.w_. "make it seem" implies that he's lying - that's his genuine opinion, and I agree with him. The lyrics REALLY do ruin the rest of the album for me and seemingly Fantano too. The production and the vocals don't make up for it, it just feels anachronistic and messy. Tryna review a review smh
I think that Fantano badly misunderstood the album and that’s why he cant enjoy it all the way Hypochondriac is Brakence on a psychedelic trip as evidenced by the trippy album/single art, his numerous references to psychedelics throughout the album and the production that makes me feel like I’m on 5gs of mushrooms. The different voices that he hears are the different parts of his consciousness or entities in the psychedelic realm; depending on your believes about those substances. And the glitchy production is a metaphor for his ego, or the fake shit in his life/personality. Caffeine is the glitchiest one and the one where he is most out of touch and the title track is where he is the most soberminded. As the album progresses his ego diminishes as psychedelics tend to do to you. starting with caffeine where his ego is gi-fucking-normous. His ego diminishes and is able to see the bigger picture of his mental health. He finds small things like his relationship is toxic on Venus fly trap and teeth, the impact of technology on 5g, or the negative self-talk on cbd and argyle. He finds big things on deepfake like how his whole personalities fake. Then on introvert he has a complete ego death and is “successfully eradicated” and he finds the true reasons for his unhappiness is that he is chasing love from a person who won’t give it to him. Am I making sense? Fantano’s main problems with this record is that it’s centered around oneself and sad in all the worst ways. But the point is that he went on a spiritual journey to reveal the toxic effects of these thought patterns. And that’s what makes it so good, so cohesive. Weather his psychedelic experiences are productive is a different question but they sure are interesting. I think that if Fantano would actually understand this album he would enjoy it allot more than a light 5. I get that the lyrics are not perfect, but I can look past that to give this album a 9/10.
holy shit what a great analysis. might not even be exactly what the album is about but constructing the message of art is partly the audience’s job as well and i feel like fantano really didn’t even try here
Excited to hear everyone who goes and listens to the album after watching this and having no clue who brakence is just to come back to comment here that they loved it
Idc if he rated it a 5/10, I’m just so proud of my boi brakence starting to get more and more recognition since the time I randomly stumbled upon him on SoundCloud back in 2019 😌. For me, deepfake and introverts are some of the best tracks I’ve heard this year
My fav tracks were definitely intellectual greed (the drums are so good), stung, argyle, deepfake (goddd that "cause my whole personality’s fake" at 3:39 is so addictive) and introvert
I keep changing my favorite songs on it, I’ve been listening to the album so much since it came out, I’ve just been at work w it on repeat His lyrics aren’t always great but he’s young & will get better, and I do love all of his songs regardless his production is so good (he is still one of my fav artists) Music like other art forms is subjective, so I respect others’ opinions even when I disagree
I like the album minus some of the writing but this isn't a great defense when artists like Quadeca who's only an year older can make such maturely written art
@@stellar1252 you also cant predict what one year of growth will do. look at quadeca’s writing just a year ago on fmty, it wasn’t nearly as artistically composed
I thought the self-awareness and reflection was pretty present/evident throughout. Really don’t think its fair to score a record this harshly because of how the artist’s “personality” comes off.
8/10 for sure. But thank you for reviewing this album and getting it some recognition, hopefully for the better. I agree with the lyrics being kind of cringe at times (maybe we are just old- I’m 32) - but not enough to detract from how great everything else is. Production is crazy, unbelievably catchy, great vocals, variety in styles, does all his own shit. He’s very talented. I’m seeing him live next week.
Yeah I actually really enjoyed this review for its perspective on the lyrics. Even though it's not AOTY for me I love the album, but I had never really considered this egotistical angle to the lyrics. And that "just do it nike" line is going to stick out like a sore thumb now whenever I listen to that track 💀I'm glad I don't really care that much about lyrics in the music I listen to or it might hinder my enjoyment of this album like it did with his
@@Pisschangoatsmeller I genuinely don’t understand how you could like punk2 and not like this - punk2 is great but this just basically a more developed and well made form of that sound. I don’t think it’s repetitive at all, there’s lots of different tempos and styles on this. Give it a few more listens, maybe you’ll come around on it.
I must have shit music taste. Fantano rated my AOTY A 5?! 😭 I’m glad the comments have my back at least. I truly think he didn’t look deep enough into this one. For me it’s a light 9. (production and singing 10/10)
This hit personal. Album is a 9/10 for me. Every track hits for me in a few ways. Although their are shortcomings in lyrics, it shouldn't bring bring an album that far down. To me, I feel as if this album developed a new form of experimentation that works in most ways but in some cases do not. Still love the album from the bottom of my heart, and I cant wait Brakence's future.
Couldn't have said it better. I've always liked the music more than the lyrics, and most of the lyrics in general illustrate his personality for me. Ego is something that's odd to deal with for young people, and it often warps their perspective a bit. On top of that, the production is Amazing and the ending of this album is devastating. 9/10.
i feel like him making an album about his ego is justified considering he organically absolutely blew up from Punk2 and started an entire trend and shift to literally everyone in both the emo rap and hyperpop scene trying to copy his sound and production. i think it is justified to have an album where he fights his ego and almost questions how human he is / if he’s just a selfish person. i think if we forget about the couple cornier lines on the album, the overall lyrical content is interesting. he’s going through a lot going from a nobody to the person everyone wants to be. he created a new pocket of organic sounding midwest emo hyperpop that has never sounded so good. i think you’re just a hater fantano and that you’re really missing the point and the gravity that brakence really pulled, making him deserving of questioning / having a crazy ego
I feel like you harped on one issue for way too long, I do agree the lyrics are cringe worthy at times I don't think it ruins the experience for me. The production is AMAZING and the vocals are infectious.
in what way we’re the lyrics cringe? We got people like ed sheeran writing the lyrics the way he does and you’re gonna say brakence writes the same shit as ed sheeran? Lol
@@gilydoesall Fantano rated this album higher than anything ed sheeran has every put out so I don't know why you're bringing him up, and yeah they're not the same type of cringe but brakence lyrics are dogshit. The delivery, the vocals, and the beats are all great but he tries with the lyrics just enough for their weakness to matter.
the lyrics werent just cringe, brakence presented himself on this album as someone with his head up in his own ass and i think fantano made that pretty clear
@@jackrotting you can tell who is in a generational gap because clearly the album flew over your head. the whole point of the album was being egotistical. fantano isn't capable of relating to a lot of what's going on with younger artist which is what makes his attempt at rating this album mediocre at best
@@JosephDanielVids He isn’t as smart as he thinks he is? You do realize that music isn’t some measure of intelligence, right? You aren’t a genius because you enjoy some egotistical hyperpop douche. This album was reduced to garbage based on the lyricism alone. Actually unlistenable.
FR, top 5 if not THE best album of the year for me. i love this comment. anthony said some true shit with the whole cringeworthy lyrics, but there's no context and he harps on about it the whole review.
@@userhasdied2704 exactly. I've always cringed at a few of his lyrics too, but the production, innovation etc are undeniable to anyone who understands the modern landscape.
part of what i'm sad was glossed over was his age -- he's a young guy, even younger when he started amassing tons of initial fame. all of that 'nobody's like brakence' being fed to him so vehemently and so early on his career no doubt influenced a lot of the ego that presented itself in this project and the transition thereafter. the acknowledgement, and subsequent 'eradication', it takes a lot for ppl that young to see their heads getting too large. and i imagine it fucking sucks being that impressionable in front of so many people, but i'm def looking forward to the growth in his next project (something that i think really starts taking form after deepfake)
He was the opener for one of his musical idols on his big tour - it can definitely be super cringe at points but it's about his identity dissolving in all of the ego, internet hype, and obsession
Quadeca is the same age and he just released one of the greatest records of the entire year with some of the most genuine, heartfelt, and beautiful lyrics ever. It isn’t an age thing. 20 year olds are capable of not being garbage lyricists.
That’s the problem though. It’s incredibly cringe that this dude could develop THIS much of an ego because he got a tiny little crumb of internet clout. He isn’t some well known name. He’s a D list at best. Dude genuinely made one of the best produced albums of the year and reduced it to nothing with his horrible lyricism.
the way you ignored the top notch production, arrangement, cohesiveness and all the good things about the album in this and just focussed on the lyrics that are clearly not up your alley is insane to me
DUDE FOR REAL it actually pisses me off. There are also so many amazing lyrics that literally raise existential questions that he didn't pay attention to. Plus there were lyrics he analyzed that he obviously didn't understand because they were part of the lore behind the album
Dang, this is definitely a top 5 record of the year for me, but I do agree that some of the lyrics make me raise an eyebrow lmao, but you also gotta get the context in where it’s coming from. Brakence is a young guy born on the internet, and Hyperpop’s typical stylings really lean on that online background so it makes sense one of the pioneers of the sound like Brakence would have his content revolving around it. Sure it’s melodramatic but it always feels genuine, the emotion he brings really heightens the overall experience and grounds what would be an otherwise pretty insane, all over the place project. So yeah, L Melon, but I am glad you reviewed it nonetheless :))))
Yeah I think you pinpointed the "issue" which is basically a good old generational gap. I looooved the album but I'm 30 and it's hard to vibe with some of the themes and lyrical style, I can see how Anthony would see some of this as cringy. But as you mentioned it feels really genuine and that's what makes it work for me, it even helps me reconnect with those old "high school" emotions, aha, I think that's amazing. Also he explores some more modern themes like being alienated by the digital side of ou society, etc. Anywayyy, strong 8 or light 9 for me
@@Aldoistaken I think you and OP articulated why I enjoyed the project. Like some of the lyrics make me suck my teeth with pain lol, but knowing it’s a younger dude just kind of brings me back to a younger “I’m deep” version of myself. Plus the amount of talent is insane and tickles my ears nicely
This review almost got personal jesus christ lmao. I get that the lyrics aren't top notch, but it's easily the most nuanced hyperpop project out there, especially since most artists in the genre don't even drop full coherent albums. Idk, I think there's a lot to be desired from the production/vocals alone, but to each their own yo'
@@yitzhak177 I personally like them both for their own reasons. Brakence is really artistic with this music and he is really just great in every area, but something about the chaotic not-really-hyperpop style of his Cypress Grove era just slaps sometimes.
Mans made an album about how the success he experienced during the pandemic gave him an ego trip and how he handled it, and fantano said, well, he is narcissistic and egotistical
I don't think it does embrace egoism, I see it as more of a concept album of the journey of becoming egotistical and bigheaded, and that getting him nowhere because it's all fake for the sake of it
Yeah I agree. I appreciate Fantano alot but i definitely think his age is affecting his perspective. I definitely don't think he's old tho lol, just from a different generation.
It may be because fwb wasn’t meant to be conceptual, just a fun short banger with direct lyrics. I think given everything on hypochondriac, it pulls down the score BECAUSE it’s trying to be serious/overcompensating.
@@franta7294 At least one person in these comments agrees. Lol. I’m not even exaggerating when I say this album would easily be a 8-9/10 for me if it wasn’t for his unlistenable lyrics. Like actually some of the worst I’ve heard in years. Pulls it all the way down to a 5/10 for me. I agree with practically everything Fantano said.
@@klouds1 I think its because he doesnt have time to listen as hard as we do or repeat listen, he has other videos to make. He listens to music efficiently for the job, this means he cant give everything a deep listen and considering the sound, i doubt this is what Anthony would listen to on his free time if any. So age is probably partially a reason, but people should give the man a break, its not hard to miss stuff when you listen to it because you have to rather than listening like WE do. Its only fair he miss stuff, and he can only upload what he knows, and he can only know so much with limited time, as this is a job. Yes its probably not the best revuiew, but the ones he does better are probably more like what hed actually listen to on free time so he can say more relevant accurate things.
I feel like you missed one of the main points of the album, while at the same time brakence is trying to flex that he knows he has talent, he’s also talking about struggling with his self obsession.
The whole album is about him letting his guard down. The beginning of the album shows the facade he puts on and the bravado. He doesn't want to be in a relationship. But he is the "bug" that ends up in the Venus Fly Trap(falling for someone). By 5G they've broken up and he's scrolling to distract himself. Preparation is him and the his ex struggling to resolve their issues, and him using psychedelics to cope. By Stung he's hurt, and it literally "stings". Argyle is his lowest point of depression, then deepfake he's being honest with himself. He admits he's been putting up a guise to protect himself. Introvert and Hypochondriac are both reflective and serve as almost one concept. He's accepted reality but he slips at the end of introvert and screams how badly he wanted that person. He's heartbroken. Hypochondriac is the final thought. He just wants some closure. This album was literally perfection from every angle. Including the lyrics that have gone over a lot of your heads. Jesus fucking christ.
Jf H. which is exactly the point. This man wrote an album in fucking 4D and fantano is too simple to realize that. I'm pissed that he put this garbage ass take on YT.
Even if everything you said were false (I don't think it is, I really like this interpretation) it still says something about the project that there are people this passionately defending it from an artistic perspective. AOTY.
9/10 for me, been listening to the whole album repeat since it released last week. My only complaint would have to be that I can't focus on my assignments cos I start jamming too hard, love brakence's work !
deepfake and hypochondriac are actually some of my favorite songs in a while, venus fly trap cbd were really good singles, and I love the alternative vibe on intellectual greed and stung. I really dont like the autotune on his voice on 5g and a small part on bugging!, its actually really grating and idk why he did it when his voice is already pretty good. The production and flow of the songs is so good and I love how the songs evolve and change as you listen, especially on deepfake.
i wasn’t expecting fantano to just talk about how much brakence sucked him self off on this record and ignore the concept and the story arch of his ego explored in this album but hey each to their own. i know this is a AOTY for me
Having a narrative about how much of an egomaniac you aren’t isn’t an excuse to be a bad writer. It’s not just that his lyrics are cringe and egotistical, it’s that it’s straight up poorly written. Lol @ this being AOTY though. That’s wild.
@@Tanwolly i don't think the album was poorly written at all, and i don't even think fantano thought that. It just had some questionable and kinda cringe lyrics throughout the songs, but it doesn't ruin the project in the slightest. Def a top 5 contender
@@feral3904 I disagree. I genuinely think it’s poorly written overall, and the cringe lyrics just add to that amateur writing. I think the dude has very obvious potential, especially if he works on his writing, but for me it just isn’t there yet. It’d be a very easy top 3 of the year if not for the lyrics to me.
@@Tanwolly well you are allowed to think that obv but i myself along with ALOT of other people actually really like the concept and story arc throughout the album, but thats obviously personal and can differ
I dont think Fantano listened to the album as a story or even more than once, him being egotistical is part of the story he laid out and the girl with poison kisses is a manipulative person. It rounds down to introvert at the end of the story where the AI is eradicating brakence, its clearly an overview of his progression as an artist. It shows that brakence split himself as an artist from himself which made him egotistical so the eradication is destroying that split as much as possible. And then hypochondriac is that true brakence/randy combination where he is spilling his emotion and realising he the wrongs he has done. obviously the lyricism isnt the best, but the production makes up for that insanely and i dont think fantano takes it into account. This is at LEAST a 7.
To be fair to Fantano, the way we as casual listeners ingest music compared to an EXTREMELY BUSY Fantano, who ALSO did a lot of work himSELF to get where he is, He has to ingest music in a completely different way before hes moving onto something else. He doesnt have time to do what we do with the music, but if its more up his alley of understanding he can say more. ALSO considering the work Anthony himself had to go through to do everything hes done, hes one of the few people on youtube where when he questions where the ego is coming from, it makes sense because Fantano also did a ton of work to get here, unlike MANY people who get popular. He may be onto something but Fantano is aware like all of us how easy it can be to blow up, and then fall into irrelevance once again. To have so much ego when we all know how it goes. Someone can get really big then flop, Brakence surely has seen this too, so even if people are copying him to justify HIS Ego, because hes very young, he also is surely aware this means nothing, blowing up. It could all disappear. So to take what i gathered from this video and comments etc, it seems like both sides are justified in their actions. Brakence ego because hes put in STUPID work too, and is seeing the fruits of that labor, and Fantano glossing over some stuff because WE can listen to it on repeat if we want, FANTANO has another album he has to listen to and review. It comes with the territory of doing something liek this as a job. You have to be efficient and he cant be efficient at decoding every album AND be efficient in how he consumes music because to consume it the way we like he has to slow down his efficiency in making content and that slows everything else.
@@gengashaunt3322 Brakence doesn't genuinely have this huge ego, thinking he's some generational talent for having a little online popularity. You're dismissing the whole theme of the album. The first half of this album is spent building up this facade of an ego to eventually reveal just how vulnerable he really feels, and reflect on the things that make him feel this way.
I will completely agree there's some corny lines across the project (elden ring bar is perfect example) but the ego related lines you have an issue with, to me felt self aware and mocking of his own persona. Especially from the perspective of the albums concept, you are listening to an alien like extraction of his feelings following a rise to fame and relationship overall culminating in an ego death. I don't think its meant to be interpreted as "these are my thoughts and beliefs" but rather an alien view of the many feelings felt during all of this. Which I think is best painted by the overbearing angsty lyrics. And even if I'm reading into that wrong, it's definitely not enough to taint the album's production and overall creativity to a 5/10? is it? This album is an 8 or even 9 in my eyes cause the only shortcomings were a few lyrical moments that pulled me out of it briefly and even then I have to applaud the ambitious concept especially with all the outside teasers and world he's tried to develop prior to the album.
A 5/10 seems wild for an album with some of the most niche production of the year - great production at that (regardless of your opinion on its lyrical content).
You realize this album is literally about him fighting with his ego over the hype and fame he got at a young age, then transitions to him killing it with acid/psychs and realizing "my whole personalities fake". It's over the top at the start of the record for a reason, it's telling a story of what punk2 did to his ego and then how he coped with it nearing the end. For someone who prides themselves on accurate reviews it's really disheartening that you didn't understand this and focused ONLY on the lyrics.
This dudes hilarious misunderstanding of this album while calling himself a music nerd is pretty sad to see. Then again there hasn't been a single take from Anthony fantano that was good
Idk, this was definitely album of the year for me. I think it's easy to focus on some of the individual weak points in theme and lyricism but the whole album together told a nice story and had flawless production. Not to mention he made the whole thing himself!
The ego shit is intentional. Even the corny bars slap. This album bangs. If you're cringing at the lyrics, it just wasn't written for you, and that's ok. The shit connects with young people
Coming back his take on Venus fly trap was pretty bad. He cringes at the chorus lyrics showing “I take it better when she don’t even ask me” and looking at the song as a whole it’s clear it’s about brakence being in a toxic relationship and the partner possibly touching him without consent? Him saying “I take it better when she don’t even ask” shows how when she does something without his consent, he stays silent, which could be seen as him “taking it better” because he doesn’t say no, but instead doesn’t say anything
Never heard of this dude before but this review made me check him out - dude's production was actually insanely good. The lyrics were mid but I didnt really care cuz it sounded great
I was a couple grades above him so I didn’t have any classes with him but we ran cross country together for a time. He was pretty quiet but really nice from what I remember. I also remember carpooling with him and his sister to school when I was in middle school since we lived in the same neighborhood. Overall really cool
I mean, he's young, and like you said the production is really good. It seems you are looking for a more developed mind and self-image out of brakence, but to me it seems he just kinda writes what he thinks? It's just expression for him, and also probably isnt all meant to be analyzed. Like maybe he is just looking for something that sounds good and fits his production, and you are frustrated with his persona that he portrays through his music. I think a lot of people resonate with his probably unhealthy outlook revealed through this music. Just because you do not relate to his mindset in this album, doesn't mean it isn't real for him.
Honestly, I had never even heard of brakence before this album dropped, and I just heard teeth randomly and I haven't been able to stop listening today this album since. Melon is tripping in this review.
Have to say I agree with most of the comments here... giving it a 5 isn't a big deal to me, but your takeaways from the album show just how disconnected you are from this mindset and art style. We agree, the production is dope, the vocal performance is amazing, though the transitions can be a bit jarring, but the lyrical content.... This is prob the biggest Fantano L I've seen. The whole album is about struggling with self awareness, going from extremes of self hatred to extremes of ego. It's not supposed to be self aware. That's why it's gold. You have lines where both extremes, ego and self hate, are exaggerated. It's supposed to be like that. As someone that traditionally listens to a lot of metal, this is the first of this genre that I've really been able to connect with, because it's extreme for the sake of being extreme. A 21 year old's deepest fears, delusions of grandiose, and bitter afterthoughts aren't supposed to sound normal and logical to someone more mature reading them off a screen. Music is about context. Imagine if you took this kind of logical interpretation to the lyrics of a band like Knocked Loose or even Morbid Angel... no shit it doesn't work lol - they aren't trying to be empathic or logical, they're trying to express themselves. It's called having feelings, not thinkings.
Melon: I think this album is well written, excellently composed and deftly executed. Me: So you like it? Melon: I hate the hyper pop egoism philosophical stance the album takes so light 5 Me: Wtf
he definitely did not say well written lol. idk if u just sit and read out loud the lyrics u will understand where he is coming from. lyrics matter a lot, if TPAB was the exact same except with Kendrick just rapping about standard stuff without switching topics for the entire run time, it would get major points deducted. I LOVE hyperpop and Brakence, but I just hope his lyrical ability grows as he does.
@@softblondee His critic was less about the writing and more about what he took from the writing. Completely missing the point of the albums core concept for 1 dimensional critics of some cringe one liners. I'm not saying the album doesn't have room to improve or grow just that I would say its way better than a strong 4 light 5. I'd give it a strong 7 imo.
@@phalen444 to me, I think it's pretty easy to write compelling lyrics while avoiding Eminem-esque zingers being thrown in. like that Elden Ring line could have worked if it didn't feel like Brakence just REALLY wanted an elden ring reference in there but couldn't quite find a way. even if this album was about some super traumatic event or deep concept, having bars like that will always take people out of it. I personally think people like Fantano and I would have totally given this album a 8 or 9, but those lines undoubtedly dilute the message of the album and how much those lines take away from the experience is subjective. I think it's a 7, would have been a 10 in my mind but I didn't like 1 song and the lyrics take away 2 points for me. Melon must have thought the disruptive one-liners were worthy of -3 points which I can't really blame him cus Brakence went for something serious lyrically and the occasional poor writing makes the point kind of moot.
I love this dude's vocals so much. They're so unique and nice to listen to. The production was also crazy good. I got a lot of goosebumps from this album. I also really don't care about lyrics that much, although I did cringe a few times from them. But hey, the kid's 20, he has a lot of room to mature, and I'm sure he will
Brakence, if you see this, we love you. Don't listen to this bald man on the internet. Keep being yourself. You are a generational talent and a breath of fresh air. ♥️
honestly I've never disagreed with you more. I feel like the whole album took an interesting aproach to the standard hyperpop/glitchcore themes and even if some of the lyrics are not the best when taken in isolation they very much don't lower my enjoyment of any of the tracks as brakence's energy and talent both with singing and producing gives off the emotion he is trying to show. I also think he does a great job of talking about social media "addiction" in 5g it just hit really close to home there
I’m 38 years old. I hard disagree. I feel like he’s doing his best to get out that shitty post adolescence we all face and also acknowledge it the best he can. This is a Hard 9 for me.
what’s so interesting to me on the “brakence has a big ego” take is that i saw him live on the first night of tour for this album (like three or so weeks ago) and he comes off as so nervous on stage, almost shy, even when performing songs like caffeine. just thought i’d add
@@gnnrclvrt in comparison to many other live artists (i frequent pop punk shows which could cloud my judgement here), he seemed very reserved in my opinion. not a very notable stage presence. however his passion for the music was very apparent. this could be due to any number of reasons, i know he doesn’t tour often and it takes a toll on him mentally. nonetheless i really really enjoy brakence sonically and in person as a longtime listener.
It’s almost as if he is signed to a major label and there’s probably people doing lots of writing and his production for him and he’s like “how the fuck did I get here? what am I doing?” Kinda vibe huh?
Wow I haven't disagreed this hard with fantano in a while. This album hits on every level for me.
I don’t think fantano was particularly harsh tho
Brakence is using his album as a platform for bragging which counters his normal aesthetic and only hurts the project. I’ve been a big fan for a long time and I’d only rate it slightly higher
edit: this still gets weekly responses, and that baffles me. you're allowed to like something that i don't like. if you like flex bars, go enjoy said bars. i personally find it corny when someone uses their music as a way to brag rather than reflect (obv theres positive reflection that isn't blatant bragging)
@@jay_344 but that bragging is all part of the ego facade on this record that he is attempting to break down over the duration of the album. Fantano kind of mentions that being a possibility but dismisses it when that is literally the concept of the record. I wish Brakence would have included more of the AI narration on the album that he teased over the rollout leading to the album's release. It makes the character of the album a little more fleshed out compared to only having her come in on Introvert
I’m glad to see so many other people loving this record
insanely mid review light 2
yea man this album is literally crazy how in depth the lyrics are and the hidden meanings behind everything is crest
dawg I have never been so happy to see people tear melon apart as I am right now
you mean all the brakence stans lol
@@mattspyro people that actually looked at the lyrics as the aspect of prevalent ego breakdown that goes through the album as part of the "I am the greatest, I am the strongest, I am the best" self-protection façade. if you're listening to 1 track in a playlist then it does come off as ego-ey. but alot of this album isnt made for chucking random songs besides a few in a playlist and calling it a day.
@@mattspyro are brakence stans not people? I fail to see your point
@@sufjant3914 I think you figured it out!
@@mattspyro weird take
coming back to this 10 months later and i have to say that, as some wise commenter once said "ranking this album this low should be grounds for public execution"
I've never seen someone so misunderstood the meaning of EVERY song on an album
ong
bubble gun pop
venus fly trap is 1000% about him being sexually assaulted which is why the lyrics come off as weird if you aren't viewing it from that perspective. such a misunderstood album and this video made me sad lmaoooo
@@baby-hs3hc you right i never even realised the lyrics are talking about that😭
Lmao fantano is really bad at reading songs. I see it in almost every review. Brad taste is way better at "getting" songs. He's quite good
unironically melon’s biggest L of the year
Yup.
you know youve got a bad take when jeremy agrees
yes
@@tekno47 all my homies love jeremy shut it
@@tekno47 respect jeremy u fool
Man said he has more in common with Owl City than Aphex Twin and then immediately said the production on this album is cutting-edge.
Yeah, this review is a little all over the place lol
There is nothing wrong with that statement. The production is cutting edge but that doesn't mean the music itself isn't corny.
Do you think "pop" and "cutting edge" are opposites?
@@theMoporter owl city and cutting edge certainly are....
Yo I didn’t believe this comment til I heard it ☠️ Wtaf
Bro made an album about how he’s struggling w his massive ego fleeting and melons mad that he’s displaying narcissistic tendencies in his lyrics
ever heard of a humble brag? yeah it's like that, where you try and do two things at the same time and end up sucking at both, sorry Brakedance
@@billhicks8 you really missed the entire point of the album huh
@@averymacneil3822 the ratio hits
Big for melon. Bigger than MBDTF
@@averymacneil3822
no I understood its incredibly basic conceit completely and it still sucks, you just don't like how I sum it up
I'm really glad I went to the comments first for this video. Decided to check out the album after seeing all the glowing praise, and absolutely loved it. Couldn't disagree with this review more
so this is how kanye fans felt after the mbdtf review
Lmao rip us brakence fans rn
@Julian Araneda cry?
@Julian Araneda nobody said the album was tainted idk where you got that from
I think this album is a perfect representation of being young and mentally ill while getting fame on the internet. I wouldn't expect Fantano to be able to relate to these feelings or understand that this is exactly how someone would process them in the moment. It's amazing and a totally unique sound and performance level for this genre. Strong 9.
Fantano apparently needs the deepest of lyrics in every single musical piece he consumes which i myself find extremly jaring i listen to music because of the sonics of it not necessarily how thought provoking a song might be lol i think its fine to sometimes just lay back and enjoy music for what it is instead of trying to get something more out of it
Yup, this album is the musical equivalent to a mental illness breakdown. I appreciate Fantano for giving it a shot but he definitely isn’t the demo for a project like this
@@agav2345 me. i agree especially with your last part
@@agav2345 he literally gave lil pumps lp a 7/10 what are you talking about lmao
This was such a zoomer centric experience album I don't think you could understand it as an elder millennial even if you wanted to
i feel like the focus on his goofy lyrics really undersells the production on this album its the best ive heard all year
it's cause these days kids only listen to music typically for the way it sounds, not for the depth and storytelling that was much bigger and a necessity in music writing a decade ago.
@@davidentendu I agree, quality lyrics and story telling are amazing for a song to have. But, I don’t think a song necessarily has to have these in order to be enjoyed. The actual music itself has a big effect too. Sometimes the feeling of the music outweighs the actual lyrics, which is what I feel with this album. Imo, even if a song had the best lyrics and story telling, if the actual music was horrible and didn’t sound good most people wouldn’t listen to it. I prefer some songs more for their beat and feeling, while with others the lyrics are what really strike me. At the end of the day music is subjective lol
Hear me out, I thought the lyrics were perfect for the emotional message of the album. He is continuously leaning into narcissistic traits-grandiosity, emptiness, projection, obsessive intense emotion, hyping up, sinking down, being impacted easily by attention, glamorizing vices, dysfunction, and high-functioning depression-all of which fabricating a masked personally describing their world through a shallow lens. He contrasts that with more thoughtful lyrics about what’s underneath the bravado. I thought it worked. He uses a lot of slang for his age group that’s socially accepted and popular, reinforcing that mask that he’s part of the in-crowd and has amassed fandom, yet underneath that is an isolated feeling person. Thanks for reading!
nailed it
very good assessment
Yea I also don’t get what everyone is saying about the lyrics. They are very angsty and overtly emotional but it’s intentional and makes sense. He is in many ways leaning into the ridiculousness of these extreme feelings… I mean, the album is called hypochondriac. It’s aware of how it sounds.
I like emo music and can appreciate some good angst. Nothing wrong with indulging those negative overly depressed thoughts at times. it can be a cathartic experience to give into those thoughts digging away at you.
It isn't very deep at all though, even when he's reaching in his feels the lyrics are often super shallow. I think he needs to seriously work on his wordplay, big agree with Fantano on this one.
Exactly
Brakence’s falsetto scratches my brain perfectly
gotchu is so good the dudes voice is nuys
Imma be honest, I kinda do get where he is coming from. It's the same issue quadeca and Rich Brian have with their previous albums. The performances and the production are absolutely exceptional, but, man the lyrics are sometimes just downright cringey/immature and quite a lot of the times, they do make me wince especially on songs like introvert. That being said, it ain't a 5. Maybe a strong 6 - light 7 because the production, the album flow and his emotional performance in nearly every track far outweighs the lyrics imo.
@@arkayv I didn’t think the lyrics were that bad until I heard melon read em out lmao
@@standfx LMAO goes to show that for most people music is just vibes, and that is totally a valid way of listening to music. I mean, people really did play Kdot's Swimming Pools at parties since the vibe fit the activity of drinking when in reality dude is saying how harmful and damaging it us, the frat bros don't give a fuck though.
@@charliefiore5371 and so many more like rosier, softie and boywontcry
My problem with this review is he only focused on the lyricism of the album. Not the vocal techniques and complex production Brakence achieved on this. Not to mention the whole record feeling coheive with each song transitioning almost perfectly between each other.
And I think the lyrics were more written in the perspective of an alter ego type personality instead of a directly his irl thoughts. In my opinion it was a very good narative throughout the album of how ego can tear someone apart.
High 8 for me personality.
And he only focuses on the lyrics that could be *considered* egotistical, none of the truly emotional, self deprecating, and heartfelt lyrics that brakence actually meant
That’s like a huge part of how he reviews lol, if he dislikes one part enough he’ll make it seem like it’s so bad it ruins the rest of the album lmao
You're so based - my thoughts exactly
you said what i wanted to say but you worded it alot better
@@a.w_. "make it seem" implies that he's lying - that's his genuine opinion, and I agree with him. The lyrics REALLY do ruin the rest of the album for me and seemingly Fantano too. The production and the vocals don't make up for it, it just feels anachronistic and messy. Tryna review a review smh
idk man, i almost feel like you really miss a lot of the aspects that make this album so good
ahhh, it’s definitely your age. makes more sense
I think that Fantano badly misunderstood the album and that’s why he cant enjoy it all the way
Hypochondriac is Brakence on a psychedelic trip as evidenced by the trippy album/single art, his numerous references to psychedelics throughout the album and the production that makes me feel like I’m on 5gs of mushrooms.
The different voices that he hears are the different parts of his consciousness or entities in the psychedelic realm; depending on your believes about those substances. And the glitchy production is a metaphor for his ego, or the fake shit in his life/personality. Caffeine is the glitchiest one and the one where he is most out of touch and the title track is where he is the most soberminded.
As the album progresses his ego diminishes as psychedelics tend to do to you. starting with caffeine where his ego is gi-fucking-normous. His ego diminishes and is able to see the bigger picture of his mental health. He finds small things like his relationship is toxic on Venus fly trap and teeth, the impact of technology on 5g, or the negative self-talk on cbd and argyle. He finds big things on deepfake like how his whole personalities fake. Then on introvert he has a complete ego death and is “successfully eradicated” and he finds the true reasons for his unhappiness is that he is chasing love from a person who won’t give it to him.
Am I making sense?
Fantano’s main problems with this record is that it’s centered around oneself and sad in all the worst ways. But the point is that he went on a spiritual journey to reveal the toxic effects of these thought patterns. And that’s what makes it so good, so cohesive. Weather his psychedelic experiences are productive is a different question but they sure are interesting. I think that if Fantano would actually understand this album he would enjoy it allot more than a light 5.
I get that the lyrics are not perfect, but I can look past that to give this album a 9/10.
Damn I just read a lot of these comments but yours is probably the best at explaining the albums trajectory.
@@reasy527 thanks king
holy shit what a great analysis. might not even be exactly what the album is about but constructing the message of art is partly the audience’s job as well and i feel like fantano really didn’t even try here
@@neartheplumtree exactly
YES! Great comment 🔥🔥🔥
I don’t agree at all im just happy you reviewed it. Personally an 8/10 for me
a guy who watches people beat eachother to a pulp would give this an 8/10
@@modestrocker1 u rly scoped out his profile for saying he likes the album ?? lol
Why is your name Josh though
same
Excited to hear everyone who goes and listens to the album after watching this and having no clue who brakence is just to come back to comment here that they loved it
Idc if he rated it a 5/10, I’m just so proud of my boi brakence starting to get more and more recognition since the time I randomly stumbled upon him on SoundCloud back in 2019 😌. For me, deepfake and introverts are some of the best tracks I’ve heard this year
last three tracks on this project are a really great closer for the album imo, totally agree, love the way they put a bow on things
first one and last three
i also like how the songs trasition throughout the abulm.
My fav tracks were definitely intellectual greed (the drums are so good), stung, argyle, deepfake (goddd that "cause my whole personality’s fake" at 3:39 is so addictive) and introvert
I keep changing my favorite songs on it, I’ve been listening to the album so much since it came out, I’ve just been at work w it on repeat
His lyrics aren’t always great but he’s young & will get better, and I do love all of his songs regardless
his production is so good (he is still one of my fav artists)
Music like other art forms is subjective, so I respect others’ opinions even when I disagree
a talented teen is still gonna write like a teen. i think as he grows the lyrics could end up matching up with the production quality
I like the album minus some of the writing but this isn't a great defense when artists like Quadeca who's only an year older can make such maturely written art
I care little to not at all about lyrics in songs as long as it sounds sonically good to me im in and that it did for me
@@stellar1252 you also cant predict what one year of growth will do. look at quadeca’s writing just a year ago on fmty, it wasn’t nearly as artistically composed
i thought he was 21
@@9teenangelz Yeah he just turned 21 a week ago
I thought the self-awareness and reflection was pretty present/evident throughout. Really don’t think its fair to score a record this harshly because of how the artist’s “personality” comes off.
Literally this
8/10 for sure. But thank you for reviewing this album and getting it some recognition, hopefully for the better. I agree with the lyrics being kind of cringe at times (maybe we are just old- I’m 32) - but not enough to detract from how great everything else is. Production is crazy, unbelievably catchy, great vocals, variety in styles, does all his own shit. He’s very talented. I’m seeing him live next week.
Can't agree more.
Yeah I actually really enjoyed this review for its perspective on the lyrics. Even though it's not AOTY for me I love the album, but I had never really considered this egotistical angle to the lyrics. And that "just do it nike" line is going to stick out like a sore thumb now whenever I listen to that track 💀I'm glad I don't really care that much about lyrics in the music I listen to or it might hinder my enjoyment of this album like it did with his
It's not good bro idk what's wrong with you guys. I was a fan two years ago but this is. Letdown and so repetitive and flat
@@Pisschangoatsmeller I genuinely don’t understand how you could like punk2 and not like this - punk2 is great but this just basically a more developed and well made form of that sound. I don’t think it’s repetitive at all, there’s lots of different tempos and styles on this. Give it a few more listens, maybe you’ll come around on it.
Well put!
For reference the average score of this album on AOTY is 80/100. I haven’t heard it yet but I just know this is gonna cause a hell of a stir.
its the Brad
Definitely check it out man looking forward to hearing your opinion on this as well!
please listen
im starving
I think you’d like it brad
You missed the entire narrative/theme of the album completely.
I must have shit music taste. Fantano rated my AOTY A 5?! 😭 I’m glad the comments have my back at least. I truly think he didn’t look deep enough into this one. For me it’s a light 9. (production and singing 10/10)
This hit personal. Album is a 9/10 for me. Every track hits for me in a few ways. Although their are shortcomings in lyrics, it shouldn't bring bring an album that far down. To me, I feel as if this album developed a new form of experimentation that works in most ways but in some cases do not. Still love the album from the bottom of my heart, and I cant wait Brakence's future.
Agreed, this lyrics are shit at times, but this record SMACKS! 9/10
FR
FACTS. the production and vocal performance is not appreciated enough!!!
Couldn't have said it better. I've always liked the music more than the lyrics, and most of the lyrics in general illustrate his personality for me. Ego is something that's odd to deal with for young people, and it often warps their perspective a bit. On top of that, the production is Amazing and the ending of this album is devastating. 9/10.
yeah theres a couple meh lyrics but other than that it BANGS
I’m just glad you started saying his name right
imagine pronouncing brakence like Beyoncé
@@brokengirrafeah yes i also love breh-khans-ay
@@himbokoopa imo, Bayons’ Reenaysancè is my AOTY
we stan brackence
You mean brackets right?
i feel like him making an album about his ego is justified considering he organically absolutely blew up from Punk2 and started an entire trend and shift to literally everyone in both the emo rap and hyperpop scene trying to copy his sound and production. i think it is justified to have an album where he fights his ego and almost questions how human he is / if he’s just a selfish person. i think if we forget about the couple cornier lines on the album, the overall lyrical content is interesting. he’s going through a lot going from a nobody to the person everyone wants to be. he created a new pocket of organic sounding midwest emo hyperpop that has never sounded so good. i think you’re just a hater fantano and that you’re really missing the point and the gravity that brakence really pulled, making him deserving of questioning / having a crazy ego
Actually perfectly summed it up.
i hate taking lyrics out of context. I think every lyric from any emo song would sound kinda cringe if it was melon that was reading it like that
nah some of these are wack in context
I feel like you harped on one issue for way too long, I do agree the lyrics are cringe worthy at times I don't think it ruins the experience for me. The production is AMAZING and the vocals are infectious.
Def not cringe bro
in what way we’re the lyrics cringe? We got people like ed sheeran writing the lyrics the way he does and you’re gonna say brakence writes the same shit as ed sheeran? Lol
@@gilydoesall Fantano rated this album higher than anything ed sheeran has every put out so I don't know why you're bringing him up, and yeah they're not the same type of cringe but brakence lyrics are dogshit. The delivery, the vocals, and the beats are all great but he tries with the lyrics just enough for their weakness to matter.
the lyrics werent just cringe, brakence presented himself on this album as someone with his head up in his own ass and i think fantano made that pretty clear
@@jackrotting you can tell who is in a generational gap because clearly the album flew over your head. the whole point of the album was being egotistical. fantano isn't capable of relating to a lot of what's going on with younger artist which is what makes his attempt at rating this album mediocre at best
It's okay melon, maybe one day you will understand the greatness of brakence
Praying for him
He won't. He isn't as smart as he thinks he is.
@@JosephDanielVids He isn’t as smart as he thinks he is? You do realize that music isn’t some measure of intelligence, right? You aren’t a genius because you enjoy some egotistical hyperpop douche. This album was reduced to garbage based on the lyricism alone. Actually unlistenable.
Nah more like maybe one day Breakance will be worthy of greatness if the dude grows up and learns how to write a single decent lyric in his life.
@@Tanwolly bruh stop meat riding the review and listen to the album
It's okay, everyone has to fall out of touch at some point. You had a good run Anthony
tbf there would be no point of posting these if he just echoed the common consensus
Also never forget Worlds getting a 3
FR, top 5 if not THE best album of the year for me. i love this comment.
anthony said some true shit with the whole cringeworthy lyrics, but there's no context and he harps on about it the whole review.
its okay, everyone has to get offended when he inevitably doesn't end up liking an album that they like..
@@userhasdied2704 exactly. I've always cringed at a few of his lyrics too, but the production, innovation etc are undeniable to anyone who understands the modern landscape.
THE ENTIRE POINTOF THE ALBUM IS ITS SELFISH ART. ITS A REOCCURING THEME AND YET YOUR COMPLAINING ABOUT IT BEING EGOTISTICAL?
part of what i'm sad was glossed over was his age -- he's a young guy, even younger when he started amassing tons of initial fame. all of that 'nobody's like brakence' being fed to him so vehemently and so early on his career no doubt influenced a lot of the ego that presented itself in this project and the transition thereafter. the acknowledgement, and subsequent 'eradication', it takes a lot for ppl that young to see their heads getting too large. and i imagine it fucking sucks being that impressionable in front of so many people, but i'm def looking forward to the growth in his next project (something that i think really starts taking form after deepfake)
this is the comment i couldn't put into words but agree with fully
you understand that you are almost directly describing the point of the album right?
He was the opener for one of his musical idols on his big tour - it can definitely be super cringe at points but it's about his identity dissolving in all of the ego, internet hype, and obsession
Quadeca is the same age and he just released one of the greatest records of the entire year with some of the most genuine, heartfelt, and beautiful lyrics ever. It isn’t an age thing. 20 year olds are capable of not being garbage lyricists.
That’s the problem though. It’s incredibly cringe that this dude could develop THIS much of an ego because he got a tiny little crumb of internet clout. He isn’t some well known name. He’s a D list at best. Dude genuinely made one of the best produced albums of the year and reduced it to nothing with his horrible lyricism.
i disagree tbh, prob one of my favorite albums this year
in 10 years youll look back and cringe
@@modestrocker1 get off people's asses lmao
@@modestrocker1 yup, wasn’t wrong, root of multiple issues. What are you trynna accomplish?
@@modestrocker1 ok bud 💀
Brakence: _sees the score_
*Bitch, don’t think you could do me like that*
lmfao
I think he forgot to listen to the songs and just read the lyrics
I never thought I’d have a MBDTF moment until now
Lmao same
I finally understand.
@@MrStarman926 You didn't understand for mbdtf?
@@stellar1252 Hadn't listened to the album when the review came out
@@MrStarman926 fair fair
im sorry melon but i already made up my mind
i love this album
and the whole starbucks clapped
🙌🙌
Bruh lmao a 5? How? This album is at LEAST a 7. “tHe LyRiCs ArE bAD” yeah, Anthony? Well, you’re bald.
Mid album
It makes me happy to see nearly every comment disagreeing with this take.
the way you ignored the top notch production, arrangement, cohesiveness and all the good things about the album in this and just focussed on the lyrics that are clearly not up your alley is insane to me
Couldnt agree more
Yeah 100% agree with this
he hated the album before he even listened
@@atme5745 EXACTLY
DUDE FOR REAL it actually pisses me off. There are also so many amazing lyrics that literally raise existential questions that he didn't pay attention to. Plus there were lyrics he analyzed that he obviously didn't understand because they were part of the lore behind the album
Dang, this is definitely a top 5 record of the year for me, but I do agree that some of the lyrics make me raise an eyebrow lmao, but you also gotta get the context in where it’s coming from. Brakence is a young guy born on the internet, and Hyperpop’s typical stylings really lean on that online background so it makes sense one of the pioneers of the sound like Brakence would have his content revolving around it. Sure it’s melodramatic but it always feels genuine, the emotion he brings really heightens the overall experience and grounds what would be an otherwise pretty insane, all over the place project.
So yeah, L Melon, but I am glad you reviewed it nonetheless :))))
Bro ur on it!!
Yeah I think you pinpointed the "issue" which is basically a good old generational gap. I looooved the album but I'm 30 and it's hard to vibe with some of the themes and lyrical style, I can see how Anthony would see some of this as cringy. But as you mentioned it feels really genuine and that's what makes it work for me, it even helps me reconnect with those old "high school" emotions, aha, I think that's amazing. Also he explores some more modern themes like being alienated by the digital side of ou society, etc. Anywayyy, strong 8 or light 9 for me
@@Aldoistaken I think you and OP articulated why I enjoyed the project. Like some of the lyrics make me suck my teeth with pain lol, but knowing it’s a younger dude just kind of brings me back to a younger “I’m deep” version of myself. Plus the amount of talent is insane and tickles my ears nicely
30 year old ganggggggg. Album slaps.
Nah this is a huge Melon W. The album is garbage.
Hard to watch Fantano complain about some cringe lyrics when Fantano is the lord of cringe himself
this felt less like an album review and more like a psychological evaluation of brakence bro
says like literally one or two bad things about the production itself and talks about how the lyrics are too self-centered for the other 9 minutes
This review almost got personal jesus christ lmao. I get that the lyrics aren't top notch, but it's easily the most nuanced hyperpop project out there, especially since most artists in the genre don't even drop full coherent albums. Idk, I think there's a lot to be desired from the production/vocals alone, but to each their own yo'
sophie is turning in her grave rn
glaive better.
@@soyuzinstrumentales7605 but glaive is just worse production with even worse lyrics lol?
Fishmonger clears this forever and ever there is NO question
@@yitzhak177 I personally like them both for their own reasons. Brakence is really artistic with this music and he is really just great in every area, but something about the chaotic not-really-hyperpop style of his Cypress Grove era just slaps sometimes.
Melon I love you, but respectfully you’re underrating this album rlly hard. Easily a strong 7 to light 8 for me.
Mans made an album about how the success he experienced during the pandemic gave him an ego trip and how he handled it, and fantano said, well, he is narcissistic and egotistical
I always took his "egotistical" lyrics as sarcastic or non-serious. hmm. strange
I don't think it does embrace egoism, I see it as more of a concept album of the journey of becoming egotistical and bigheaded, and that getting him nowhere because it's all fake for the sake of it
Anthony really showing his age with this one. Idk how he loved songs like "fwb" yet this level of braggadocios lyricism is too much for him.
Yeah I agree. I appreciate Fantano alot but i definitely think his age is affecting his perspective. I definitely don't think he's old tho lol, just from a different generation.
nah, im 18 and i find brakence horribly unlikeable and egotistical throughout the whole album. Dont know how this has anything to do with age
It may be because fwb wasn’t meant to be conceptual, just a fun short banger with direct lyrics. I think given everything on hypochondriac, it pulls down the score BECAUSE it’s trying to be serious/overcompensating.
@@franta7294 At least one person in these comments agrees. Lol. I’m not even exaggerating when I say this album would easily be a 8-9/10 for me if it wasn’t for his unlistenable lyrics. Like actually some of the worst I’ve heard in years. Pulls it all the way down to a 5/10 for me. I agree with practically everything Fantano said.
@@klouds1 I think its because he doesnt have time to listen as hard as we do or repeat listen, he has other videos to make. He listens to music efficiently for the job, this means he cant give everything a deep listen and considering the sound, i doubt this is what Anthony would listen to on his free time if any. So age is probably partially a reason, but people should give the man a break, its not hard to miss stuff when you listen to it because you have to rather than listening like WE do. Its only fair he miss stuff, and he can only upload what he knows, and he can only know so much with limited time, as this is a job. Yes its probably not the best revuiew, but the ones he does better are probably more like what hed actually listen to on free time so he can say more relevant accurate things.
Anthony, you cant give brakence a 0 cause he didn't go bald by the end of the album!.
I feel like you missed one of the main points of the album, while at the same time brakence is trying to flex that he knows he has talent, he’s also talking about struggling with his self obsession.
The whole album is about him letting his guard down.
The beginning of the album shows the facade he puts on and the bravado. He doesn't want to be in a relationship. But he is the "bug" that ends up in the Venus Fly Trap(falling for someone). By 5G they've broken up and he's scrolling to distract himself. Preparation is him and the his ex struggling to resolve their issues, and him using psychedelics to cope. By Stung he's hurt, and it literally "stings". Argyle is his lowest point of depression, then deepfake he's being honest with himself. He admits he's been putting up a guise to protect himself. Introvert and Hypochondriac are both reflective and serve as almost one concept. He's accepted reality but he slips at the end of introvert and screams how badly he wanted that person. He's heartbroken. Hypochondriac is the final thought. He just wants some closure.
This album was literally perfection from every angle. Including the lyrics that have gone over a lot of your heads. Jesus fucking christ.
Thanks for this comment - I love this album but I didn’t even notice all of this.
Jf H. which is exactly the point. This man wrote an album in fucking 4D and fantano is too simple to realize that. I'm pissed that he put this garbage ass take on YT.
i hope this comment cuts through the usual fantano monotony
George Devdar Me too. And not for selfish reasons. I truly hope people will go back and see the genius of this project.
Even if everything you said were false (I don't think it is, I really like this interpretation) it still says something about the project that there are people this passionately defending it from an artistic perspective. AOTY.
9/10 for me, been listening to the whole album repeat since it released last week. My only complaint would have to be that I can't focus on my assignments cos I start jamming too hard, love brakence's work !
“i can’t hit the griddy 😔” -brakence
deepfake and hypochondriac are actually some of my favorite songs in a while, venus fly trap cbd were really good singles, and I love the alternative vibe on intellectual greed and stung. I really dont like the autotune on his voice on 5g and a small part on bugging!, its actually really grating and idk why he did it when his voice is already pretty good. The production and flow of the songs is so good and I love how the songs evolve and change as you listen, especially on deepfake.
i wasn’t expecting fantano to just talk about how much brakence sucked him self off on this record and ignore the concept and the story arch of his ego explored in this album but hey each to their own. i know this is a AOTY for me
Having a narrative about how much of an egomaniac you aren’t isn’t an excuse to be a bad writer. It’s not just that his lyrics are cringe and egotistical, it’s that it’s straight up poorly written.
Lol @ this being AOTY though. That’s wild.
@@Tanwolly i don't think the album was poorly written at all, and i don't even think fantano thought that. It just had some questionable and kinda cringe lyrics throughout the songs, but it doesn't ruin the project in the slightest. Def a top 5 contender
@@feral3904 I disagree. I genuinely think it’s poorly written overall, and the cringe lyrics just add to that amateur writing. I think the dude has very obvious potential, especially if he works on his writing, but for me it just isn’t there yet. It’d be a very easy top 3 of the year if not for the lyrics to me.
@@Tanwolly well you are allowed to think that obv but i myself along with ALOT of other people actually really like the concept and story arc throughout the album, but thats obviously personal and can differ
@@Tanwolly U just dont know good music lmaooo
I dont think Fantano listened to the album as a story or even more than once, him being egotistical is part of the story he laid out and the girl with poison kisses is a manipulative person. It rounds down to introvert at the end of the story where the AI is eradicating brakence, its clearly an overview of his progression as an artist. It shows that brakence split himself as an artist from himself which made him egotistical so the eradication is destroying that split as much as possible. And then hypochondriac is that true brakence/randy combination where he is spilling his emotion and realising he the wrongs he has done. obviously the lyricism isnt the best, but the production makes up for that insanely and i dont think fantano takes it into account. This is at LEAST a 7.
Yeah i cant believe he brings up the possibility of this being the concept and then dismisses it as if it wasn't actually the concept??
Well put and agreed
To be fair to Fantano, the way we as casual listeners ingest music compared to an EXTREMELY BUSY Fantano, who ALSO did a lot of work himSELF to get where he is, He has to ingest music in a completely different way before hes moving onto something else. He doesnt have time to do what we do with the music, but if its more up his alley of understanding he can say more. ALSO considering the work Anthony himself had to go through to do everything hes done, hes one of the few people on youtube where when he questions where the ego is coming from, it makes sense because Fantano also did a ton of work to get here, unlike MANY people who get popular. He may be onto something but Fantano is aware like all of us how easy it can be to blow up, and then fall into irrelevance once again. To have so much ego when we all know how it goes. Someone can get really big then flop, Brakence surely has seen this too, so even if people are copying him to justify HIS Ego, because hes very young, he also is surely aware this means nothing, blowing up. It could all disappear. So to take what i gathered from this video and comments etc, it seems like both sides are justified in their actions. Brakence ego because hes put in STUPID work too, and is seeing the fruits of that labor, and Fantano glossing over some stuff because WE can listen to it on repeat if we want, FANTANO has another album he has to listen to and review. It comes with the territory of doing something liek this as a job. You have to be efficient and he cant be efficient at decoding every album AND be efficient in how he consumes music because to consume it the way we like he has to slow down his efficiency in making content and that slows everything else.
@@gengashaunt3322 Brakence doesn't genuinely have this huge ego, thinking he's some generational talent for having a little online popularity. You're dismissing the whole theme of the album. The first half of this album is spent building up this facade of an ego to eventually reveal just how vulnerable he really feels, and reflect on the things that make him feel this way.
music is objective, why do we need critics? Decide for yourself if the album is good. No amount of analyzation can determine the appeal of art.
That being said, one of my favorite pieces of work in a very long time. Excited to see what’s next and have the album on replay.
Brakence is only 21 …. Only getting better which is rare for an artist. 9/10 album is 🔥. Dude has earned a right to be cocky and is a pioneer in music
Super excited if he keeps going like this
I just wanted to point out that the Nike bar is also a Bladee bar. I feel like it makes it a little more clever than your average nike bar
What Bladee song is it from? I'm new to his music.
@@Batwinxzmusic nike just do it!!
@@Batwinxzmusic Yeah no problem! The song is called "Nike Just Do It"
Thank You!
this is my mbdtf moment
It hurts
same tbh
Mine was the family
same
genuinely never a huge fan of albums. This one was easily my favorite of 2022. it just did not disappoint and at worst it’s an 8.5/10
I will completely agree there's some corny lines across the project (elden ring bar is perfect example) but the ego related lines you have an issue with, to me felt self aware and mocking of his own persona. Especially from the perspective of the albums concept, you are listening to an alien like extraction of his feelings following a rise to fame and relationship overall culminating in an ego death. I don't think its meant to be interpreted as "these are my thoughts and beliefs" but rather an alien view of the many feelings felt during all of this. Which I think is best painted by the overbearing angsty lyrics.
And even if I'm reading into that wrong, it's definitely not enough to taint the album's production and overall creativity to a 5/10? is it?
This album is an 8 or even 9 in my eyes cause the only shortcomings were a few lyrical moments that pulled me out of it briefly and even then I have to applaud the ambitious concept especially with all the outside teasers and world he's tried to develop prior to the album.
A 5/10 seems wild for an album with some of the most niche production of the year - great production at that (regardless of your opinion on its lyrical content).
okay now we need a brakence interview😂
You realize this album is literally about him fighting with his ego over the hype and fame he got at a young age, then transitions to him killing it with acid/psychs and realizing "my whole personalities fake". It's over the top at the start of the record for a reason, it's telling a story of what punk2 did to his ego and then how he coped with it nearing the end. For someone who prides themselves on accurate reviews it's really disheartening that you didn't understand this and focused ONLY on the lyrics.
see this man knows what is up
this
This dudes hilarious misunderstanding of this album while calling himself a music nerd is pretty sad to see. Then again there hasn't been a single take from Anthony fantano that was good
The review that literally NO ONE expected
i knew he’d review this bruh this shit is BIG
@@KIEAN people knew he would review but not the score since he likes punk2 and the singles
it was on the front page of rate your music. So it was predictable
And unfortunately the review no one wanted 😔
I fully expected him to dislike it lmao
Idk, this was definitely album of the year for me. I think it's easy to focus on some of the individual weak points in theme and lyricism but the whole album together told a nice story and had flawless production. Not to mention he made the whole thing himself!
The ego shit is intentional. Even the corny bars slap. This album bangs.
If you're cringing at the lyrics, it just wasn't written for you, and that's ok. The shit connects with young people
Coming back his take on Venus fly trap was pretty bad. He cringes at the chorus lyrics showing “I take it better when she don’t even ask me” and looking at the song as a whole it’s clear it’s about brakence being in a toxic relationship and the partner possibly touching him without consent? Him saying “I take it better when she don’t even ask” shows how when she does something without his consent, he stays silent, which could be seen as him “taking it better” because he doesn’t say no, but instead doesn’t say anything
BABY DONT BE MY CRUTCH WHEN THIS SHIT GET GORY
the moral of this story is that you don’t like his personality
faxx lol
Thank you. Like talk about the music. 🤣🫠
He doesn’t like Kanye’s either and yet he’s gotten 10s, 9s, 8s and classics but ok 😂
Mid lyrics here and there CAN ruin an album, however with the story being told and the insane production, its gonna have to be a 8/10
Never heard of this dude before but this review made me check him out - dude's production was actually insanely good. The lyrics were mid but I didnt really care cuz it sounded great
We almost had an L free year melon, better luck next year
Damn i went to high school with him. Great to see him doing this good with his music
@@IJKez yes, please tell us
I was a couple grades above him so I didn’t have any classes with him but we ran cross country together for a time. He was pretty quiet but really nice from what I remember. I also remember carpooling with him and his sister to school when I was in middle school since we lived in the same neighborhood. Overall really cool
@@dariush7525 Wow that's pretty cool! Thanks for sharing :) I hope to one day meet him.
@@leoleonardoiii3570 no that’s weird , leave artists personal lives alone tf
@@leoleonardoiii3570 completely missing the point
I mean, he's young, and like you said the production is really good. It seems you are looking for a more developed mind and self-image out of brakence, but to me it seems he just kinda writes what he thinks? It's just expression for him, and also probably isnt all meant to be analyzed. Like maybe he is just looking for something that sounds good and fits his production, and you are frustrated with his persona that he portrays through his music. I think a lot of people resonate with his probably unhealthy outlook revealed through this music. Just because you do not relate to his mindset in this album, doesn't mean it isn't real for him.
I think you misunderstood a bit of this album. For example, on Venus Fly Trap, it’s not about him being obsessed, it’s about an abusive relationship.
Yeah literally: "I take it better when she don't even ask me" like bro thats clearly SA
Honestly, I had never even heard of brakence before this album dropped, and I just heard teeth randomly and I haven't been able to stop listening today this album since. Melon is tripping in this review.
10 minutes of Anthony being offended by “Brakence’s ego”
Have to say I agree with most of the comments here... giving it a 5 isn't a big deal to me, but your takeaways from the album show just how disconnected you are from this mindset and art style. We agree, the production is dope, the vocal performance is amazing, though the transitions can be a bit jarring, but the lyrical content.... This is prob the biggest Fantano L I've seen. The whole album is about struggling with self awareness, going from extremes of self hatred to extremes of ego. It's not supposed to be self aware. That's why it's gold. You have lines where both extremes, ego and self hate, are exaggerated. It's supposed to be like that. As someone that traditionally listens to a lot of metal, this is the first of this genre that I've really been able to connect with, because it's extreme for the sake of being extreme.
A 21 year old's deepest fears, delusions of grandiose, and bitter afterthoughts aren't supposed to sound normal and logical to someone more mature reading them off a screen. Music is about context. Imagine if you took this kind of logical interpretation to the lyrics of a band like Knocked Loose or even Morbid Angel... no shit it doesn't work lol - they aren't trying to be empathic or logical, they're trying to express themselves. It's called having feelings, not thinkings.
idc if it’s rated a 5, for me it’s a 10.
Melon: I think this album is well written, excellently composed and deftly executed.
Me: So you like it?
Melon: I hate the hyper pop egoism philosophical stance the album takes so light 5
Me: Wtf
Him saying hyper pop is egoistic, while stanning for PC music? PC music, the most self-absorbed label in existence?
he definitely did not say well written lol. idk if u just sit and read out loud the lyrics u will understand where he is coming from. lyrics matter a lot, if TPAB was the exact same except with Kendrick just rapping about standard stuff without switching topics for the entire run time, it would get major points deducted. I LOVE hyperpop and Brakence, but I just hope his lyrical ability grows as he does.
@@softblondee His critic was less about the writing and more about what he took from the writing. Completely missing the point of the albums core concept for 1 dimensional critics of some cringe one liners. I'm not saying the album doesn't have room to improve or grow just that I would say its way better than a strong 4 light 5. I'd give it a strong 7 imo.
@@phalen444 to me, I think it's pretty easy to write compelling lyrics while avoiding Eminem-esque zingers being thrown in. like that Elden Ring line could have worked if it didn't feel like Brakence just REALLY wanted an elden ring reference in there but couldn't quite find a way. even if this album was about some super traumatic event or deep concept, having bars like that will always take people out of it. I personally think people like Fantano and I would have totally given this album a 8 or 9, but those lines undoubtedly dilute the message of the album and how much those lines take away from the experience is subjective. I think it's a 7, would have been a 10 in my mind but I didn't like 1 song and the lyrics take away 2 points for me. Melon must have thought the disruptive one-liners were worthy of -3 points which I can't really blame him cus Brakence went for something serious lyrically and the occasional poor writing makes the point kind of moot.
@@softblondee 9:20 seems like he said the writing was generally pretty good 😂
Bruh the production alone should bring it to an 7 or 8/10 😂 my guy on crack
I love this dude's vocals so much. They're so unique and nice to listen to. The production was also crazy good. I got a lot of goosebumps from this album.
I also really don't care about lyrics that much, although I did cringe a few times from them. But hey, the kid's 20, he has a lot of room to mature, and I'm sure he will
i know im a lil late here, but ive never seen lyrics go this far over Tony Tano's head
Brakence, if you see this, we love you. Don't listen to this bald man on the internet. Keep being yourself. You are a generational talent and a breath of fresh air. ♥️
REAL
So real
nah he is meh
@@freemasonslayer and that’s your opinion mister jibz
@@mrsawstenknight69420 and his opinion is wrong
speechless lmao. this is AOTY for me, thank you for reviewing tho! wish you liked it as much as me 💀
i hope you grow up and realize the L this comment is
@@modestrocker1 Could say the same thing about u. What’s wrong with the comment?
@@modestrocker1 Bro your commenting this shit everywhere. Get a life, damn.
@@modestrocker1 you can dislike the album but these comments you keep leaving are just kinda... ironic
@@modestrocker1 people like you are the root of multiple problems
i know anthony saying this but still secretly listening to brakence in his room corner at night and crying to the new album
stay coping
@@nozers no u
honestly I've never disagreed with you more. I feel like the whole album took an interesting aproach to the standard hyperpop/glitchcore themes and even if some of the lyrics are not the best when taken in isolation they very much don't lower my enjoyment of any of the tracks as brakence's energy and talent both with singing and producing gives off the emotion he is trying to show. I also think he does a great job of talking about social media "addiction" in 5g it just hit really close to home there
w take
I‘ve never commented on one of your reviews but that score hurts man
vocals and production should make it at least a 7/10, i don’t think lyrics can bring down the project that much
Exactly Matty, love ur channel btw.
Agreed. Btw, I like your content!
common matty w
depends on why you think the lyrics are bad
I’m 38 years old. I hard disagree. I feel like he’s doing his best to get out that shitty post adolescence we all face and also acknowledge it the best he can. This is a Hard 9 for me.
what’s so interesting to me on the “brakence has a big ego” take is that i saw him live on the first night of tour for this album (like three or so weeks ago) and he comes off as so nervous on stage, almost shy, even when performing songs like caffeine. just thought i’d add
From the Cleveland show? I was also there. How do you think he came off as shy?
@@gnnrclvrt in comparison to many other live artists (i frequent pop punk shows which could cloud my judgement here), he seemed very reserved in my opinion. not a very notable stage presence. however his passion for the music was very apparent. this could be due to any number of reasons, i know he doesn’t tour often and it takes a toll on him mentally. nonetheless i really really enjoy brakence sonically and in person as a longtime listener.
It’s almost as if he is signed to a major label and there’s probably people doing lots of writing and his production for him and he’s like “how the fuck did I get here? what am I doing?” Kinda vibe huh?
@@davidentendu I very much doubt anyone writes for him or produces for him
@@gnnrclvrt he’s signed to Columbia dude, some person or group of people are definitely working with him when writing.
deepfake is one of my favorite songs this year
Plot twist: In case you reviewed it he put the AI woman saying “brakence has been eradicated” solely to teach you how to say his name right
I was so excited to see melon review this, only to be so saddened and shocked by this grandpa take on it
brakence could record an album just singing the alphabet and id still bump that shit