_{By Trevor Myers}

With more than 110,000 monthly listeners on Spotify — and some songs with millions of plays — Madge is the edgy hyperpop artist of your dreams. They are definitely making their mark on the hyperpop scene after going solo and breaking into the genre. Following the release of Fight or Flight Club in 2018, Madge released another EP and a slew of singles leading up to 2020’s Ethanol (Multiverse vol. 2). 

Madge’s Ethanol (Multiverse vol. 2) offers an almost all-encompassing introduction to hyperpop — and would be a great first step for those who may not be familiar with the genre. Ethanol (Multiverse vol. 2) is a bass-boosted, skillfully auto-tuned ride from start to finish, with the vocal effects and production working in the album’s favor for the most part. The title track “Ethanol” opens the album with some of the strongest production of the project, featuring Madge whispering over stuttering drums and heavy, distorted instrumentals in between simpler, clearer vocals. “Ethanol” ends with a frenzy of what sounds like everything else the song had to offer. The entire project is cohesive, with each song dependably offering funky sounds, distortion and choppy sound bites.

“Cry a Lil” is the fifth song on the album and is an experience all its own; it should be listened to with both headphones in and the volume turned as loud as you’re comfortable with. It may very well be one of the most sonically pleasing tracks on the record as the vocal track and instrumentals rapidly jump from one ear to the other in a way that is sure to scratch your brain (if you’re into hyperpop and brain scratching). Right as the ear-switching audio draws you in, the bass comes in and it just enhances the whole experience. There’s even a brief part of the song where they blast through the lines, “Never gonna drain it / Gonna down it til you drown / Drink it like you mean it baby / Drink it drink it down” in just five seconds with the audio switching from ear to ear.

On this project, it may sometimes be difficult to understand the lyrics with all the effects and distortion on the tracks, though this is pretty standard for hyperpop songs; the vocal effects and artful autotune are a staple of the genre. However, for some parts (especially the whispering), a little more clarity would’ve enhanced the overall experience for a lot of listeners. Depending on what the lyrics are, and how important they are to the meaning of the song, a lot of listeners may miss out on them if the words are too drowned out by everything else going on with the song.

Then again, a lot of people may not listen to hyperpop to listen to and decipher the lyrics. You don’t need to understand everything that’s being said to play the album at full volume in your car with the windows down. And again, Ethanol is a great introduction to the world of hyperpop, as well as a great introduction to Madge.

Make sure to follow Madge on Instagram. You can listen to “Cry a Lil” below!