This piece was originally featured in AM01 — Issue One of Ascribe. Click here to read it alongside the rest of the issue.
With the release of AN HONEST ACCOUNT OF THE MORE UNSAVORY ASPECTS OF MY BEING, PLVTINUM takes listeners on a journey through the dark sides of himself as a method of catharsis. Over the course of seven tracks, he explores the more unsavory aspects of his psyche with propulsive and cinematic production.
The EP features five tracks and two interludes, one in the beginning and one after the first track. I won’t lie — at first I was a bit skeptical, but with all the titles stylized in caps, I knew this was going to be a good EP.
The EP starts with “CHAOS IS THE ONLY CONSTANT” and it definitely is a chaotic start to the EP, setting a darker and ominous tone for the remaining songs. The twenty six-second interlude ends with the line “find beauty in mayhem,” which really shows how PLVTINUM has worked through this album, creating art out of the darker sides one may not want to see. I wouldn’t add the Interlude to my playlist, but it definitely makes the EP feel whole.
The interlude leads into “D4MB,” which is an acronym for his lyrics in the chorus. While sometimes I have trouble with derogatory words in reference to women, it’s hard not to find myself dancing to the song, especially when it’s clear he would do anything for her. PLVTINUM ironically touches on this with the next Interlude, “CONVERSATIONS WITH KENNY.” I found myself laughing towards the end, with Kenny saying “what about … I die for my loving girlfriend?” In the background, you hear the previous track’s instrumental, but in la-la-las, adding an ominous, circus feeling to the interlude, continuing with the darker themes of the EP.
I have to take a minute to talk about my favorite track of the EP, “STRESS ME OUT,” which had an official music video release on Nov 8th. Considering some of the more difficult work weeks I’ve had, this is definitely the song I would blast on my way when I just don’t want to deal with or speak to anyone. I find myself dancing to the song, but also relating to the lyrics and releasing frustrations to it. The music video takes fans on a journey into PLVTNUM’s mind, through parallel storylines that show the escalation of his God-complex and mania as he heads towards his inevitable downfall.
“TOUCH” is a complete 180 from the previous two tracks. The lyrics are upbeat and flow well with the pop track, which features some EDM aspects. I would definitely rank this as my number two. “WHERE WE GO @ NIGHT” is a great follow up track, featuring some similarities to “TOUCH.” The song builds up and breaks into the chorus with a soft line and the chime of a bell right before the chorus drop.
“JADED” is definitely another track I have to stop and talk about, and as the last track of the EP, it really ties all the themes of the EP together. In the song, he apologies for the way he acts and for how he feels, apologizing ultimately for being jaded, which is a feeling I believe many can relate to. This track was a perfect ending to the EP.
Each track in AN HONEST ACCOUNT OF THE MORE UNSAVORY ASPECTS OF MY BEING explores the different dynamics of PLVTINUM’s psyche, showing the jour- ney of some of his most vulnerable and darker moments. PLVTINUM explains that, “instead of shying away from my ego problems and somewhat nihilistic tendencies, I highlight them in bold font,” which shows in each song of the EP. PLVTINUM is the breakout pop artist who isn’t afraid to talk about the darker sides of human experience. Blending EDM textures with catchy pop-R&B and punk attitude, he’s captured the attention of a post-teen crowd.
You can listen to “AN HONEST ACCOUNT OF THE MORE UNSAVORY ASPECTS OF MY BEING” here:
