Indigo De Souza is stretching new muscles in her newest EP, Wholesome Evil Fantasy: a sharp left turn from her usual indie rock sound to hyperpop. In Wholesome Evil Fantasy, De Souza replaces grungy guitar riffs and moody melodies with mechanical electronic dance beats. It’s a big departure for sure, but through the heavy layer of T-Pain–levels of auto-tune we can still hear her familiar voice. Her lyrics that speak to the complexities of life are still present, only this time the songwriting is a little less angsty.
Since the reign of ‘Brat summer’, hyperpop has recently come under a new spotlight in popular culture. However, that doesn’t make everything in the genre shiny and new. Unfortunately, De Souza’s particular brand of hyperpop is just a little too derivative to be truly exciting. The whole EP sounds exactly like a 100 Gecs project but without the grit. Whilst experimentation is always exciting to hear from an artist, it’s a shame De Souza couldn’t quite find a unique angle to attack the genre with.
Don’t get me wrong, the songs are incredibly catchy, especially ‘Wholesome‘. The track becomes full earworm during the end of the chorus where we get a throng of mashed-up, baby-voiced pop melodies. De Souza sings: “When you dance like that, talk like that / Makes me lose my mind.” Not the most original of lyrics but the song’s not trying to be a deep exploration of love—it’s just a bit of fun.
The second track, ‘Evil‘, laments an infatuation that tears De Souza between love and hate. Whilst she occasionally falls into sounding like a petulant teenager, the song pays off. It’s heavy, off-the-cuff and unapologetic with a guttural bassline that makes you want to dance.
‘Fantasy‘ is arguably the most unique song on the EP. Hovering somewhere between Crazy Frog and ‘Cotton-Eyed Joe’, the track takes some of the folky qualities in De Souza’s previous work and slaps a sugary, electric filter over the top. As its title would suggest, the song sparkles with a fairy-like giddiness. Twinkling piano keys and rising synths give the quality that you are being shot into hyperspace. Are all the tracks a little ‘copy-cat’? Sure. Are they great if you just want a boogie? Hell yes!
Though her previous sound was angsty and soulful, here De Souza’s songwriting takes on a whimsical and ludic charm. Instinctive and loose-lipped, Wholesome Evil Fantasy is frivolous and amusing in the way that hyperpop should be. However, the whole EP sounds like a facade or as if she’s hiding behind the mask of other hyperpop performers before her. Perhaps this is just the beginning of a new sound, one that De Souza will inject with her own point of view as time goes on. Whilst we wait though, we might as well enjoy the ride and dance along.
Words by Kit Gullis
Support The Indiependent
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.