American pop singer Slayyyter has released her long-awaited third studio album, “WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA.” After an eclectic string of singles since last August, the 14-track project was released on March 27.
The release follows 2023’s “STARF*CKER,” which featured ‘80s synth-pop and a tale of celebrity, urban glamour and vanity. Slayyyter flipped the script for “WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA,” drawing from dark, grunge Americana and her St. Louis, Missouri, origins as its inspiration.
The album features a deep range of sonic influences, ranging from the late 2000s to the early 2010s including pop, hip-hop, trap, indie electronic, punk and French house.
Slayyyter has maintained a versatile style, often fusing pop, hip-hop and electronic since her 2019 self-titled mixtape. However, no project has felt as inspired or masterfully crafted as this genre-bending, sound-clashing album.
Slayyyter began building hype for the album with the release of the first single, “BEAT UP CHANEL$.” The pairing of striking visuals and the 2010s electropop style drew attention from pop music fans, particularly on X. Lyrically, the song strongly introduces the era’s influences and messages through luxury and lifestyle references.
In this song, she makes a declaration of craving realism. “Beat up Chanels” refer to authenticity, embracing her imperfections and rough upbringing. She explores themes of independence and hedonism, insisting she doesn’t want anyone or anything besides “money, drugs, chains” on her chest.
The single was followed by “CANNIBALISM!” and “CRANK,” two drastically different but equally intriguing songs in terms of genre. The two tracks fueled the existing X hype, bringing an exponential amount of newfound attention to Slayyyter’s new music.
“CRANK” is a standout of the album, a hyperpop and hip-hop-infused banger, perfect for the club. The blaring alarms and quickly-rapped chorus create a sense of urgency that Slayyyter is determined to have the most liberating night of her life.
The track built up a lot of momentum for the album due to its meme-worthy nature resulting in online virality. Lyrics like “I get so gay off that tequila” and the Richard Linklater line are among the most clever and memorable of Slayyyter’s discography.
The final two singles, “DANCE…” and “OLD TECHNOLOGY,” were released in the last couple months before the album and continued building the hype with new sounds.
“OLD TECHNOLOGY” lives in a similar world to “BEAT UP CHANEL$” and “CRANK,” serving as a cheeky start to a night of drug use and partying. However, it carries an electric guitar edge that turns it into an electro-rock track with a satisfying buildup and breakdown at the end.In the song, Slayyyter disregards criticism and judgment to live as her unadulterated self.
On the other hand, “DANCE…” is a far more dramatic and intense track. It begins with a slow, drawn-out intro, featuring rising synths and a smooth and slick drum beat. This continues until finally exploding into a dark groove with a deep synth bass.
The sequence serves as the perfect opener for “WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA,” as she once again declares her independence, in this situation, against someone with whom she has a strained relationship.
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Slayyyter alludes to this multiple times on the rest of the project. She described the writing process of the Crystal Castles-inspired “GAS STATION” to the LA Times.
“I started writing that song about an ex-relationship with the hook. And as I got more into writing it, I started talking about a situation that happened with my dad actually,” Slayyyter said. “When you’re in a bad relationship and you look at relationships with your parents, there can be a lot of parallels.”
Sonically, the song has a bumping synth bass over a cold, alien-like electro instrumental. Slayyyter’s desperation and emotive vocals start the album’s non-single tracks to a drastically different feeling from the previous singles.
“UNKNOWN LOVERZ” shares the vulnerable sentiment of “GAS STATION,” talking about being mindlessly in love with someone who is cold and distant, never reciprocating her feelings. The track draws from artists who were popular on Tumblr in the 2010s, like Marina and the Diamonds or Lana Del Rey.
The song carries much more of a minimalistic vibe compared to “GAS STATION” and the entire album, in general. The acoustic indie-pop beat, backed by soft, sweet vocals form a memorable moment that differs from the rest of the project.
Moving forward, tracks like “YES GODDD” don’t appear often. The hard-hitting, punk-electronic beat vividly displays Slayyyter’s rage as she roars about a lover who has mistreated her.
The next three tracks on the album all discuss Slayyyter’s insecurities as the “WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA.”
“I’M ACTUALLY KINDA FAMOUS” and “$T. LOSER” both show two sides of the same coin. They describe Slayyyter confronting her lack of self-confidence. On the former, she taunts her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend with braggadocious screams and nearly unintelligible lyrics over speaker-busting hyperpop beats.
On the latter, however, Slayyyter rides the electro-punk groove with impressive lyrics, such as “So pretentious, looking down on my $T. LOSER misery” and “If kids are bumping my sh*t, that’s a recession indicator.” The track soars with screams and technically-impressive belting vocals over intense and layered production towards the end of the track.
Indubitably, “$T. LOSER” finishes as one of the standout tracks of the album.
“OLD FLING$” is a Robyn-tinged track, reminiscent of “Dancing On My Own.” Slayyyter discusses a night at the club with her boyfriend, while an ex-girlfriend tries to make contact with him. The hazy vocals become entangled within lush electro synths, producing a fresh but nostalgic atmosphere.
On ”WHAT IS IT LIKE, TO BE LIKED?,” Slayyyter wears her insecurities on her shoulder, describing how expensive things can’t substitute the emptiness and dissatisfaction with her life.
She explores more of this disappointment in “BRITTANY MURPHY.” The track is preceded by “*PRAYER*,” an interlude of her making an altruistic prayer about forgiving herself and relinquishing her expectations of others.
“BRITTANY MURPHY.” is an electronic acoustic rock song, detailing her imagining of her funeral and how she will be remembered. The song has suicidal tones, showcased through emotional vocals mixed with robotic sections, creating a dichotomous expression throughout.
This song serves as the perfect closer to the tragic story Slayyyter tells of the “WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA.”
Overall, the album is a triumphant statement on Slayyyter’s part, fusing together all of her early inspirations and livelihood to create a musical masterpiece that far surpasses her previous efforts.
I think it’s safe to say Slayyyter has finally been released from the “Khia Asylum.”
