ALBUM REVIEW: Ericdoa X Glaive – then i’ll be happy

By Resonate | November 23, 2021

Words by Elina Pekkarinen

Much like Marmite, you will either absolutely love or have a burning hatred towards the glitchy, self-produced D.I.Y. electronic pop genre commonly known as hyperpop. Two of the genre’s figureheads, ericdoa and Glaive, are the teenagers on top of the scene right now. The pair have come together on a new album, then i’ll be happy. I initially had mixed feelings about this release, doubting a collaboration between two such similar artists would give listeners anything fresh. Evidently my worries about the album were not without warrant.

The album kicks off with dreamy naturale and mental anguish, giving an almost hypnotising harmonisation and showcasing how strong the back-and-forth vocal style can be when done right. After more upbeat and glitchy songs like heather and pretending, the rest of the album follows the same, safe pattern. The last two songs on the tracklist, fuck this town and cloak n dagger, have been dominating the hyperpop charts for a while; and although the album offers very little in terms of new ideas and sounds, there was no moment I was bored or disinterested. 

Overall, all of the songs are very neutral, and barely any risks are taken, which is unusual from a hyperpop release. Then again, both artists are still in the infancy of their careers – Glaive being only 16 – so perhaps they are still finding their feet. Maybe in the future we may see a stronger collaboration between two of hyperpop’s most promising talents, but alas this is not quite it.

5/10

https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/1W1fTA8eoQ7SwlWaQc2iTK?theme=0

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