“Imagine if Ninja had a low taper fade!” If you are active on TikTok, I would guess you have heard this soundbite on the app over the last month or so, provided by ericdoa on a live stream. It is amazing how silly memes like this can catapult a musician into stardom these days. It feels like so many of today’s popular artists became popular on TikTok in some way, whether from a meme or a dance craze associated with their music. I will admit, this meme was not the first time I had heard of ericdoa. I knew he was a rising artist whom many young music fans appreciate, but I had yet to give him a chance. Due to that Ninja meme, though, and a bunch of other memes associated with that iconic live stream of his from a few weeks ago, ericdoa has been all over my TikTok timeline, prompting me to look into the music he makes. Although ericdoa is fairly young(he is only 21), he has been putting out music for quite a while. He began his career under the name Dante Red, releasing his first EP, DOA, in 2019, and dropping his first two albums, Public Target and COA, in 2020. After signing with Interscope Records in 2021, ericdoa released a bunch of singles over the next year or so, including ‘Sad4Whattt,’ which went viral due to its use in the show Euphoria. In late 2021, he also released a collaborative EP with glaive called Then I’ll Be Happy, which further cemented him as an artist to watch. ericdoa capitalized on this success with his third album, Things With Wings, which was critically acclaimed and praised for its wide variety of influences and genre-bending tendencies. ericdoa is ready to expand on his newfound success and has now returned with his fourth album, again titled DOA. With all of that being said, here is how I feel about ericdoa’s new record, DOA. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from DOA, and also comment on how you feel about the project as a whole.
ericdoa gets DOA going on a light and lively note with the song ‘the cake is a lie.’ This is a song that feels very nostalgic and modern at the same time(I have a feeling this going to be a theme throughout this record). ‘the cake is a lie’ feels heavily inspired by early 2010s Indie Pop-Rock. This one immediately reminds me of bands like The Wombats or Two Door Cinema Club. The track is driven by a bright and breezy guitar riff which is complemented by an underlying groovy bassline. This guitar riff gives the song a lighthearted feeling, whereas the bassline feels a bit gloomy, creating a cool contrast in the track. The beat for this track is pretty standard for this kind of Indie Rock, which progresses the song along nicely and meshes well with the groove. ericdoa’s vocals on this track are distorted and robotic sounding, giving the song an interesting texture. On ‘the cake is a lie,’ ericdoa sings about how his mental health problems are ruining his relationships and making everything in his life tougher(which is very relatable for me). The song uses references from the Portal video game series to drive this point home. ‘dancingwithsomebawdy’ is a song with a lot more of a pleasant and fun feeling than the song that precedes it. This is an early pick for a song of the year for me. This track is extremely catchy, and I know it will be stuck in my head every time I hear it in the near future(which is a great quality). ‘dancingwithsomebawdy’ is an aptly titled song, as it makes me want to dance around my apartment. This song is driven by a sweet guitar riff that is complemented by an equally charming bassline. This melody is put on top of a fast-paced Pop-Rock beat that provides so much good energy when it comes on. Ericdoa’s vocal performance on this track is great. His range is excellent, and the way his vocals are pitched up and down throughout the track gives the song so much vigor and makes it so enjoyable. On ‘dancingwithsomebawdy,’ ericdoa sings about the former love of his life finding someone else to dance with. He sits at home wondering what she is doing while she spends her time with a new person. ‘bigassbearman’ has a lot more of a somber feeling than the first two tracks on the album. This song has a sound that feels inspired by a different kind of 2000s Pop-Rock than we heard on the first track. I can the influence of artists like One Republic or Bastille on this project. There is also an Emo-Pop feeling to this instrumental as well. The tone of the melody, which is mostly provided by super fat synths, is pretty melancholy and soothing. It does not have nearly as positive a feeling as the first two tracks, that is for sure. The beat for this track has a pretty low-key Pop tempo to it. The beat is very passive, matching the tranquil feeling of the melody. ericdoa’s is very dynamic on this track. He sings with a ton of emotion, which makes the song feel bigger and more poignant than it probably should with this kind of instrumental. On ‘bigassbearman,’ ericdoa is singing about a casual relationship with a new partner. He does not want to get too close to them, as he knows how badly he has been burned in the past.
‘kickstand’ is easily the most modern song on the record to this point. This is a song that reminds me of the Cloud Trap music that was big on Soundcloud in the late 2010s. I can definitely hear the influence of artists like Juice WRLD, Lil Yachty, and even Playboi Carti on this track. This song is driven by a vibrant and quirky synth-driven melody with an extremely saturated sound. This melody is complemented by various weird sound effects that make the melody hit hard in a weird and cool way. This melody is put on top of a Pop-Trap beat with a good rhythm that emphasizes the melody and makes the track hit hard. ericdoa’s vocal performance is very cool. I love the high notes that he hits, as these high notes fit the melody so well and make the track pop. ‘kickstand’ is a braggadocious track where ericdoa is singing about how great he knows he is and how he can steal anyone’s girl if he wants to. If ‘kickstand’ is a song that feels like modern Pop-Trap, then ‘paystub’ feels ultra-modern. This song has an eccentric Pop-Trap with an almost futuristic feeling to it. The song is driven by extremely distorted and saturated synths that have an animated and almost-metallic sound to them. These synths that make up this melody are tough and pleasant sounding at the same time. This melody is put on top of a very hard-hitting Trap beat with a pretty quick tempo that makes me want to party. I love how intense the bass hits on this track, as it gives the song such a larger-than-life feeling. ericdoa’s vocal performance in ‘paystub’ is coarse and full of passion, making this track all the more impactful. On ‘paystub,’ ericdoa is singing about a girl he knows that only loves him for his money and the guy that she is supposed to be with being jealous. ericdoa goes back to the 2000s Rock-inspired music on the song ‘arm and a leg.’ This one sounds directly inspired by the Pop-Punk I grew up with; it brings me back to the music by artists like Good Charlotte or Fall Out Boy. The song is driven by a chunky and warm guitar riff drowning in distortion and synths. The drum pattern on this track feels super synthetic, making the song feel super fresh. The mix on this track overall is so artificial sounding, making the track feel unusual and invigorating. ‘arm and a leg’ contains the best vocal performance of the record to this point. I love how much range ericdoa sings with on this track and I really enjoy all of the vocal editing as well. On ‘arm and a leg’ ericdoa is singing about he had a bad relationship with who he can not see himself being with again. Even though this person wants to rekindle what they had, he can not get over their past issues. ‘lastjune’ is a song that has emerged as one of the early fan favorites from this record. I can see why so many people are digging this song. This is an Emo-Trap banger with a massive feeling to it. ‘lastjune’ is driven by a very gloomy guitar riff drowning in distortion and injected with bass. The Pop-Trap beat this track has is also heavily distorted and hits super hard, giving the track a looming element. ericdoa’s vocal performance on ‘lastjune’ is powerful and full of vigor, going well with the harsh feeling of the instrumental. On ‘lastjune,’ ericdoa is singing about how he needs to get over and let go of his former significant other, as they are taking too much of a toll on his mental health.
‘imcoolimgoodimstraight’ is the first track on the record I would say I just do not feel that much. It just does not draw me in like the other ones do. There is nothing about this song that is necessarily bad. The guitar driven melody is fine, the Pop-Rock beat is catchy, and the vocals are decent. It just does not do anything about it that is overly compelling. On ‘imcoolimgoodimstraight,’ ericdoa is trying to convince himself that he is okay and that he does not need help. ericdoa puls me right back in with the song ‘crisis actor.’ This is an Emo-Trap anthem with a bit of an Industrial HyperPop element to it. I can hear the influence of artists like Good Charlotte again, but there is also a distinctive 100 gecs element to it. It is an intense track where everything about it feels so striking. The guitar riff is raucous and the intricate be is so high-octane, making the track so compelling. ericdoa’s vocal performance on this track is not the most impressive one on the project, but it also does not take anything away from the song. On ‘crisis actor,’ ericdoa is singing about a failing relationship that he wants to salvage but can not see ending well. ericdoa closes out this record with another song that unfortunately feels like a bit of a miss for me. Like ‘imcoolimgoodimstraight,’ there is nothing about ‘sweet tooth’ that I dislike, per se. But the instrumental for this one is just a bit too boring, for me. It is highly distorted, slow Pop-Rock with nothing very exciting about it. ericdoa’s vocal performance on this track is actually great, so I wish the instrumental did more for me. On ‘sweet tooth,’ sings about trying to woo a new girl and convince her that he is the one she needs. In my opinion, ‘sweet tooth’ is one of the weakest songs on this album, and it sort of sends DOA off on a sour note.
ericdoa is an artist who has become more popular for the memes associated with him than for the music he makes. That is a shame, because he is actually a very good artist. DOA is a very good project with a ton of diversity that shows how eclectic ericdoa can be. DOA is an album with music for multiple kinds of music fans, and that makes it special. It draws from a wide range of influences; it takes multiple retro sounds and makes them sound modern and unique. The lyricism is solid, the vocals are good to great, and for the most part, the instrumentals are very enjoyable. DOA is a more than decent project from one of Alternative music’s most exciting rising stars, and it makes me pumped to see him progress in the future.
EAST SIDE VIBES 