“Bad Flower” by Zacariiah transcends genre. It has the melody of a pop song, the sensibilities of a rock song, and the production style of a shoegaze-y indie song. The mixture of live and electronic instruments is a trendy, fascinating texture, and the vocal editing manages to be spacey and crisp all at once.
The song begins with a wash of blaring, modulating vocals. It’s a jarring start, but the effect is entrancing. A guitar dribbles into the mix with an ominous chord progression while the bass holds a steady rhythm. Suddenly, the instruments cut out for a sliver of time, and come crashing back in with the vocals. “You’re a bad flower / You’re a mean girl,” Zacariiah croons with a simple, chesty tone. The vocals are doused in reverb and chorus, bolstered by a new buzzing yet ethereal synth.
This atmosphere continues throughout the rest of the song. There are certainly some moments where new qualities grace the mix, like background vocals and synth lines, but for the most part, the energy remains the same: eccentric, washy, and groovy. As far as the melodic structure of the song goes, the hook repeats several times, interwoven with new sections and melodies. It’s a pleasant arc because the listener gets to experience a balance of familiarity and newness. Some of these melodies are legato, and others are rhythmic and short. Both help maintain the intrinsic interest of the song.
Be sure to check out “Bad Flower” by Zacariiah! If you love that new emo-pop sound, you’re going to eat this song up.
Written by Alyce Lindberg
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