BEHIND THE STITCH: ALANI
June 21, 2024
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The music duo ¥$, composed of rap icon Kanye West (Ye) and singer-songwriter Ty Dolla $ign, emerged as a bold collaboration that seeks to merge the worlds of soulful R&B and experimental hip-hop. The pair first captured attention with their debut project, Vultures, which blended Ty’s smooth harmonies with Ye’s signature rap style. While their debut album, Vultures received moderate praise for its ambition, the recently released Vultures 2 has struggled to replicate that momentum, garnering widespread criticism. Despite its reception, ¥$ continues to push boundaries, exploring themes of futurism, personal legacy, and cultural experimentation.
The Vultures 2 album was poorly received, scoring a dismal 39 on Metacritic, with many highlighting a lack of cohesion and over-reliance on experimental production and the song, BOMB falls into the same pitfalls, with more critique than praise for the song.
The music video appears to be doing just as poorly, with heavy criticism for the AI-generated visuals of cybertrucks racing through deserts and gremlin-like creatures featured in the video. The video appears to lack any depth and evidently, very little creative effort was put into the production process.
The absence of Ye and TY in the video further dampened excitement, leaving viewers questioning its creative direction.
Despite these shortcomings, there are moments of brilliance. North and Chicago West’s appearances bring a refreshing generational spotlight, symbolizing a torch-passing of creativity within the West family. Their vocal contributions to the track add an endearing personal touch, resonating with fans of Ye’s legacy.
The inclusion of rapper Yuno Miles, whose energetic delivery of the song earned significant praise, also stands out as a highlight. His verse injects much-needed vibrancy into the track, momentarily elevating it beyond its experimental facade.
While “BOMB” ambitiously ventures into new territory, its reliance on AI aesthetics and the absence of core creative elements from Kanye and Ty Dolla, hinder its impact. Nevertheless, the video succeeds in showcasing an emerging generation of talent, with North and Chicago West stealing the spotlight. It may not be a triumph for ¥$, but it offers a glimmer of hope for what’s next.
