It’s a hot summer night in Oakland, and along with thousands of other Slayyyter fans, I am screaming the lyrics to “brand new chanel$” by Slayyyter like we’ve all been personally victimized by her ex-boyfriend. My attempts at filming videos on my phone from that night are shaky and blurry, unable to capture the absolutely chaotic energy inside the Fox Theater, perfectly characteristic of Slayyyter’s messy, party girl aesthetic.Â
It’s been a monumental year for the 30-year-old pop star. From the widespread acclaim of her third studio album, several viral songs, and multiple sold-out shows on her WOR$T GIRL IN THE WORLD tour, it’s safe to say that she’s at the peak of her career. It’s what makes it all the more devastating to find out that she was cheated on right before her viral Coachella performance. Lucky for fans, she’s channeling her emotions into a “brother album” to Worst Girl in America, this time titled wor$t man in america, and if the already released singles are any indication of this album’s new concept, it’s going to be incredible.Â
In an interview with triple j, she described her newest album as an “inverse album.” A cryptic social media post on Twitter stating, “INVERSE MY LIFE INVERSE THE ALBUM INVERSE THE RED INVERSE IT ALL,” seemed to back up this statement.Â
As of right now, there are three released singles from this project: “brand new chanel$,” “crank 2,” and the newly released “i think he’s got a girl.” These songs appear to be clear inverses of the tracks “BEAT UP CHANEL$,” “CRANK,” and “UNKNOWN LOVERZ.” From the changing of the letters from uppercase to lowercase and the accompanying music videos containing references to previous tracks, it’s clear that the execution of her newest project is brimming with creativity and stylistic choices that fans are sure to love. Already, “brand new chanel$” has gotten widespread acclaim online as being a perfect breakup song, one that is both euphoric and heartbreaking.Â
Additionally, she has been singing unreleased tracks while on tour. Based on what’s already been released and the unreleased tracks performed live, it appears that most of this project is much more reflective and subdued than the loud, abrasive tracks from WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA. Lyrics such as “found out that you tried to kill me / right before my most important day / tell me, why’d you ever bring her / in my home while I was so far away” and “said she was from the past, the past is in your arms? And now I realize you were never mine” show how this newest project is a reflection of Slayyyter processing the tumultuous emotions that come from the heartbreaking experience of getting cheated on during the height of her career.Â
It’s common for artists to release additional content after an album, such as albums full of remixes and artist collaborations. Slayyyter’s approach to creating a “brother” album to her latest album as a response to processing her own tumultuous breakup during her rise to fame is a fascinating concept. It feels like a breath of fresh air in this current age full of dragging out album releases and bombarding fans with too many remixes.Â
wor$t man in america will be released on December 4, just eight months after the release of its predecessor. After hearing her unreleased tracks in a room full of adoring fans eager to hear new music during my concert experience, I’m confident that when the album does arrive, it’ll be worth the wait.Â