A six-track delight packed full to the brim; it’s everything we wished for - and a little bit more.
‘superstar’ sets the stage: a fast-paced, dance track with an infectious charm and ridiculously catchy melody. Right from the get-go, the song hooks you in with the contrast of the easy-going beat with the melancholic vocals and lyrics (“maybe I found myself or it’s just another chapter of pretending I’m someone else”) but the mood lifts as the song progresses. This one’s for us. We are the superstars and we should never forget it. The subtle piano surprisingly works really well, adding another intricate layer to this fantastic song.
The next two tracks are Yin and Yang to each other. ‘f*ck your idols’ is angry with dark guitar tones and lyrics you can scream your heart out to, but ‘i used to live in england’ takes a more relaxed approach. A witty, tongue-in-cheek tune about an American’s perspective on British culture. While all the instruments in both songs, and the EP overall, are amazing, the bouncy bass and cowbells in the latter are the highlights. They’re simple, fun, and elevate the song to a whole new level. Balancing each other out, both tracks add their own unique perspective to the EP and ensure there’s something for everyone.
Dance through your sadness with ‘your house’. This track details the pain of a break-up, struggling to let go of what you’ve lost, even though it’s costing you. While it’s sadder than what we’ve heard so far, the Virginian artist has still imprinted his distinctive touch (with synths and snappy drums), which are reminiscent of icons like LCD Soundsystem, and makes sure ‘your house’ doesn’t feel out of place on the track list.
The song has an intimate feel to it, creating genuine connection between artist and listener and truly showcasing why Beanie is one of the best in the game right now.
The closing songs are some of the most memorable. Arguably the funkiest song on the entire EP, ‘no future’, is looser than what's come before it and stands out the most. He’s doing what he wants and doesn’t care how others perceive it, an attitude likely to create the best songs.
Finally, we move on to ‘my heart’, a sweet tribute to the early stages of love, where nothing else matters except your partner, even if that comes at a price to you. “If I had nothing left to give, I would still give it all to you / I would let you rip my heart out”. The intricate guitars add 2010s nostalgia to the track and showcase supermodel*’s passion for his craft, making genuinely addictive songs. The overlapping vocals at the end are overwhelming but memorable and perfectly wrap up the EP.
A twenty-minute journey of emotions, supermodel*’s self-titled EP is a testament to Beanie’s dedication to what he does and is enjoyable from start to finish.