Spiderr Album Review: How Bladee Entrapped Me
Graphic by Mo Krueger
By Farah Rincon
It’s easy for me to recall the very first time I heard a Bladee (he/him) song—in fact, I would even say it’s difficult not to remember the chaotic, noisy sounds that blast through the speakers as Bladee makes his first impression on you. I decided to surf around for new music to listen to on Spotify when I discovered the first Bladee song I ever listened to, “Be Nice 2 Me” from his 2018 album Icedancer. Just upon first listen, Bladee incited strong reactionary emotions within me, and I was left speechless. Regardless, his lively and energetic melodies kept haunting me as weeks passed, which led me to obsess over his whole discography over the next few months. Haunting is the word I would best use to describe Bladee’s music, but not necessarily in a negative sense. The eccentric, strange, and the cyber-realness that emits from the aura of his songs allows the listener to identify his sound as something new and refreshing.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what category Bladee’s music falls into; Pitchfork has labeled Bladee’s music as “Dissociation Music” or “Dance Pop”. Regardless, his ethereal and experimental hip-hop sound has managed to cultivate an extremely loyal fan base over the years. Spiderr, which was released on September 30, assures his fans will keep listening, as he enters a new era with a blend of instruments and synths that have yet to be heard from his music.
Bladee’s Spiderr creates an electric, enigmatic, and upbeat tone throughout most of the album with songs such as “UNDERSTATEMENT”, “I AM SLOWLY BUT SURELY LOSING HOPE'' and “HAHAH”. His opening track “UNDERSTATEMENT” immediately sets the energetic feel by introducing the thematic game sounding synths and constant build ups. Shortly after the intro song, “I AM SLOWLY BUT SURELY LOSING HOPE'' distincts itself from his older music, as he uses electric guitar instead of synths, and creates a pop-punk layer to his usual sound. Later on, one of the more chaotic tracks “HAHAH” uses a variety of background sound effects of high pitched laughter in the beginning with the repetition of “I’m crazy” for the first section of the song. Many songs are reminiscent of scenery in computerized reality, like walking through a take of Wreck it Ralph. Similar to Bladee’s previous solo album, The Fool (2021), this project includes a variety of songs with layered synths topped onto trap/hip-hop beats, to create an electronic feel.. However, The Fool’s elements of rap are more prominent through the tracks, as Spiderr emphasizes more free-flowing rhythmic and colorful instrumental choices. In this album, Bladee strains further away from the concept of Cloud-Rap, and perhaps aims towards something more grand. He enters a new era by blending experimental sounds and regular instruments, such as the guitar and orchestral strings, to invite the listener on a dynamic and at times overwhelming journey that is taken through this album.
Spiderr is formatted as a layout of 13 different songs, 11 which are titled in all capital letters, a creative decision which Bladee has never done before. Perhaps it is to tell the listeners this is a “loud” album, which I sensed from the very beginning of the first song. Nevertheless, from the two songs which follow the standard title format, the song “She’s Always Dancing” separates itself from the rest of the tracks on the album. The song begins with a mysterious intro of unidentifiable words being whispered into the listener’s ear, and uses a distorted guitar to play melancholic chords which eventually turns into a more muted version of the repeated, video-game themed synths which are used throughout the album. The song creates a silent, romantic, yet sad atmosphere in contrast to its louder and noisier tracks. The last track, “URIEL OUTRO”, left me lost in contemplation. In contrast to the upbeat opening track, “URIEL OUTRO” leaves listeners with a somber mood which lingers long after the song stops. The use of strings and gloomy lyrics combine to create a sense of stillness, characteristic of moments of reflection or nostalgia for one’s past.
Spiderr launches the singer into a fresher sound as he continues to discover ways to blend the older and newer elements of music. True to his legacy, Bladee has once again left me feeling haunted. He has certainly left myself and others desperately awaiting what innovative sounds the rapper will come up with in the future. If you are a new listener to Bladee, Spiderr is an excellent introduction to the chaoticness within his music. Prepare for the thematic melodies to live inside your brain for the near future, inviting you to listen once again.