Hip-hop entertainer Exxe, who has drawn fame for his reflective and street-influenced lyrics, delivers a breathtaking genre shift with the new pop-punk single, “Devils in Designer.” Both intrinsically and refreshingly soft, the track precedes the release of their debut album.
The first chords of “Devils in Designer” throw you into turf where wails on distorted guitars meet emotional grit, both new and natural for Exxe. Ditching the swagger for sincerity, they hug the pop-punk thesis, blistering riffs, striking singing, and that toasted-emo energy that best replicates the churn of modern-day angst. It’s not a one-off experiment, it’s a bold step in a new direction.
What’s most remarkable is how human the track feels. There is a weariness in Exxe’s voice that pierces through in the mix like hearing someone handle heartbreak with a sneer and a tear at the same time. The imagery of the designer devils creates a sharp contrast between that which is beguiling and the nature of the deception, the symbolic material trappings of a seduction that will cost heavily in pain. It’s edgy, detached from the usual designer-pop sheen, and grounded in something more real.
The production weighs punchy against restrained. The rhythm section propels the song without becoming overbearing until you arrive at the sucker punch in each line, delivered with all the emotional weight it needs. And that chorus! It’s infectious in a way that will make you want to crank it loud, dragging some invisible air-guitar as you raise your arms high, as if to escape something as much as to celebrate.