The Rising Stardom of Midwxst
Album Cover By Aged
"My only inspirations are xxxtentacion, porter robinson, kanye west, frank ocean, and pi'erre bourne," tweeted rapper Midwxst, one of the biggest figures in the contemporary hyperpop scene. In a music community where the individual artist's general taste greatly informs their sound, influence is everything. And some of those listed names are immediately apparent in Midwext's output. It's hard to deny that the emo stylings and raging blown-out hip-hop that makeup XXXtentacion's discography are pervasive in hyperpop and beyond (and certainly in Midwxst's work), even as many still reconcile with the late artist's massively problematic personal history. Pi'erre Bourne, whose instrumental style and synthetic vocal delivery were proto-digicore, is also there; as is the wonky, J-pop-inspired future bass of Porter Robinson, which one can hear in Midwxst’s off-the-wall instrumental choice.
But Kanye? That one I struggled with--it was hard to spot any of Kanye's signature styles, from any point of his aesthetic evolution, in Midwxst. But then I thought maybe that specific influence is about more than just the sound itself. Kanye is arguably known just as much for his music as for his other ventures, his general creative spirit. And that's what I see in Midwxst. The 17-year-old star from Indiana (and many other places) has an immense talent for vocals and songwriting, but he also has a vision. In his music, he seems to know exactly what he wants and how to execute it, oscillating between different styles with confidence and ease. He's got charisma and an immediately recognizable voice. He's navigated through the never-ending hyperpop scene on his own terms. And as a result, he's poised to be one of a few current hyperpop artists to break-out into the mainstream--an organic growth that helped grow the community as it did the artist himself. But that ambitious creative drive doesn't stop at the music. In a recent interview with Masked Gorilla, you can hear him tell a story of going to a fashion camp in LA, as well as listen to him talk about clothing brands like it's a second language--portending a potential future in clothes, yet another Kanye connection. That initial tweet itself, spurned by a frustration of people trying to define his influences for him, feels like a desire to wrestle for control over his narrative. That’s classic Kanye.
But let's get back to the music itself, because it is, of course, very good. Midwxst just dropped a new EP called Summer03, his first project since 2020's massively underrated Secrets. And this new project is a continuation of the sonic evolution Midwxst showed on that first album. The predominant sound leans towards a signature emo-vocal-delivery-over-blasting-hyperpop-beat approach, a formula which has come to dominate the genre. But Midwxst sticks out from the bunch with his rapping skills and effortless ability to flow over such ridiculously strange instrumentals (the production on Summer03 comes from the artist’s ongoing collaboration with Elxnce, as well as ThisLandis, ayyitsRyo, Delto, Heavn, and Lunamatic). One of the first things that immediately jumped out to me about Summer03, though, was another Kanye connection-- and that is their shared commitment to the power of album construction and sequencing. The EP kicks off with "Liar," an entirely acoustic cut with guitar work from Scott Ryan that contains moments of heart-tugging poignancy. "Don't say, I'm okay, because I just disagree," he croons with perfect melodic timing, a line that’s sure to pierce the hearts of angsty teens everywhere (as the best hyperpop should do!). The tranquil vibes of “Liar” open the project ideally as it smoothly transitions into "Trying," Midwxst's biggest song to date. “Trying” has that immediately familiar guitar loop and chord progression, which then drops into its brain-melding, bass-thumping beat switch, commencing the project in earnest. ("Sticks and stones may break my bones/don't need friends, better off alone," he belches, yet another sparkling moment). "Trying" is not only a fantastic track because of Midwxst's impeccable flows and the song’s bonkers beat--it also has a striking thematic coherence. The juxtaposition between the chorus's vulnerable sensitivity and the impenetrable swagger of the verses signal a mature songwriting vision for such a young artist. Not to mention that "I done take so many L's I think it's time for to win" is already one of the most iconic lines to come out of this hyperpop scene. And the rest of the EP flows smoothly from there, with "Vivid" and "Final Breath" being other highlights. Glaive also makes an appearance on "Smile," which should give the project even more deserved attention.
Midwxst is a creative. He's a well-rounded, versatile artist who's ready for the spotlight. He contains the kind of talent and personality to bring this young sect of hyperpop (digicore, as Soundcloud calls it) to the mainstream--an outcome that seems more and more inevitable with each passing week. So thank you, Kanye, I guess.
Written By Noah Simon
