Blending a catchy hook with a hard to swallow topic, pop-punk-rapper Hollow River is back with his new single “Aspartame,” available everywhere now. The Canadian artist recently attended Berklee College of Music for Music Production & Engineering and Songwriting before dropping out to sign a deal with Ninetone Record.
The song is playful in its melody and ukulele but has a deeper meaning underneath. When Hollow River was younger, he went from being a skinnier kid to gaining some weight during puberty. Instead of this being seen as normal – his parents had him switch from regular soda to diet soda. He shares more on the inspiration, “At the time that seemed like the obvious answer, ‘This kid’s fat— make him drink diet soda’ but as you think back now you realize how messed up that is. Today I would never think to comment on a child’s body that way.”
“Aspartame” is full of clever wordplay and the verses are jam packed with quick-witted analogies. It is a genre that is becoming more popular, with mainstream acts like Twenty One Pilots and Green Day, and other rising artists like Shauna Dean Cokeland. The sound allows for more words per minute while also being an extremely memorable ear-worm.
The music video follows a similar tongue and cheek style. Hollow River introduces the video by pointing out he had no budget, so he filmed it himself in his apartment. He plays his ukulele and uses a lot of fun props throughout. The smart and fun song is both worth the watch and the listen!
Written by Katie Power
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