As 2021 comes to a close, we’re all thinking back on the year that was. From iconic pop culture moments to favorite trends, we’re all collectively thinking back on what we just experienced. Like many, I like to spend early December taking a deep dive through my Spotify to find my favorite releases from the calendar year. Yes, DONDA was amazing, and yes, I think CLB was trash. Tyler, The Creator dropped another classic, and no, we didn’t get a Frank Ocean album. It is absolutely worth mentioning that Kendrick Lamar said he wasn’t taking any prisoners in 2021 (in August) and then continued to not put out music, but thats neither here nor here. What I wanted to highlight was an indie project that I felt like didn’t get it’s proper due. And in this process of combing through my liked songs, I kept coming back to Andrew Goes to Hell’s album World’s Smartest Dumbass.
Andrew Goes to Hell is a Chicago-based multi-dimensional artist making some of my favorite underground pop music right now. His second album, World’s Smartest Dumbass, was released in September of this year to much acclaim within the underground community. With zero skips, there’s a strong case here for indie AOTY in my opinion. You can quickly hear some of Andrew’s inspirations for his sound on a first listen. Per Andrew, his younger years were full of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Fuse TV, and more video games, and those inspirations all come together for a truly unique listening experience (Chicago Reader). The album rollout even came along with some cool pieces featuring WORLDS SMARTEST DUMBASS screen-printed onto various thrifted items like button up shirts and denim skirts. What may stand out the most, aside from the original sound, is the duality of experiences one can have when listening to some of these tracks. With(out) You starts off sounding like it’s going to be a cheerful, upbeat type of track, and it definitely is if you’re not listening to the lyrics. Pay attention closely, and the track is a cry for some kind of genuine human experience and a three minute musical expression of what it’s like to chronically overthink yourself into distress. These tropes play out over the entire album as WSD is 13 tracks featuring an artist truly at their most vulnerable.
Andrew plans to use 2022 as a chance to revamp his artistry. When I asked him what we might be able to expect from him in this upcoming year, he said that he wanted to work on reworking samples in a way that results in an almost “Frankenstein-style type of dance music”. With an incredible foundation built with World’s Smartest Dumbass and the creative skills and resources to push his sound further, Andrew has all the tools necessary to push his sound from niche internet sensation to underground indie star
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