Some songs utilize a sort of cheery optimism to tell a story that’s deeper under its core. These songs are so interesting because sometimes the lyrics hit us out of nowhere after bopping for a while. Fresh artist BUZZKILL joy just released his debut single, ‘Birthday Cake’ which does this phenomenally. This single is one of those ones that do this. It’s an exciting bop of a track with an important message hidden underneath.
‘Birthday Cake’ is fun. It’s edgy. It’s catchy. And it’s all-around creative. The start of this track ushers you in with a bass dominantly on the right stereo side and brighter guitar picks on the left. Then the raising ethereal “ahh” ushers a wonderful fullness into the sound. This track is dynamic, utilizing sections with both guitar chords and fingerpicking—the drum beat phases in and out to fit around and control the pacing. The vocals are performed with distinct emotion. There’s a bit of a grungy growl and slur in the verses, and the chorus has a powerful belt behind it. Great use of reverb brings these powerful tones out even more. This track has such a great punky pop-rock sound to bring to the table.
‘Birthday Cake’ seems to provide a sort of commentary on society’s high value placed on wealth and belongings, which pulls us away from the things that actually matter in life. BUZZKILL JOY himself lists some of these meaningful things as being: “family, friends, and memories.” The track itself uses the idea of a birthday cake as a sort of metaphor. Cake, like wealth, is something that fills you up. It feels lovely and warm. But eventually, you’ll get a stomachache. If you ignore your health, cake can eventually end up being a bad thing. This is similar to having wealth in money and things. This can be a good thing, as wealth is a part of personal safety and getting by. And sometimes we need nice things. But as soon as we get too invested in the wealth that we ignore the health and well-being of our relationships with the people around us, it can end up being toxic.
BUZZKILL JOY is a multifaceted music artist who writes his own music, sings, plays drums, and plays guitar.‘Birthday Cake’ shows that this lends itself well to the cohesive stories he can tell. Though this single is his debut, he’s been working on developing his music for two years. Now, he’s ready to share it with the world. Are you ready for what’s to come?
Written by Sage Plapp
