Lil Yachty has been on a hell of a run over the last couple of years. It all started with his feature on JID’s track ‘Surround Sound’ at the beginning of 2022. For several years before this feature, a lot of his releases had been pretty lackluster(in my opinion). It felt like he lost the spark he had with his music earlier in his career. I know that he was writing a lot of hits for other artists at this time, but the music he was releasing did not hit as much. It all changed with that appearance on ‘Surround Sound.’ Since that point, he has been on a tear, not only with his features but also with his own releases. Near the beginning of 2023, he released a Psych-Rock album titled Let’s Start Here. This was a total departure from what anyone would expect from him, and he completely nailed it. Let’s Start Here. is easily one of my favorite albums from last year. In addition to that record, Lil Yachty has dropped several dynamic singles over the last couple of years, including another great collaboration with JID near the end of 2023. Lil Yachty has now decided to join forces with the Electronic R&B artist James Blake on a new record called Bad Cameo. James Blake has always been known for his ability to push boundaries in a very delicate way with the many subgenres he delves into; similar to Lil Yachty, he loves to go outside the box. The prospect of this collaboration is enticing, as both of these artists have such distinct sounds that set them apart from their peers, so it is intriguing to see what their music would sound like when they come together. With that being said, here is how I feel about Lil Yachty and James Blake’s Bad Cameo. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from this record, and also comment on how you feel about it as a whole.
Lil Yachty and James Blake immediately transport us to space with ‘Save The Savior.’ This song has such an ethereal and warm sound. If there is music playing as you walk into Heaven, then this should be the new song they play. The synths that drive this melody are so angelic. The way the bass pounds, which comes in and out throughout the track, makes ‘Save The Savior feel so powerful. When Lil Yachty comes onto the track, his delivery is sort of abrasive, as his tone and off-center flow stand out in such a weird and cool way. James Blake sounds incredible on ‘Save The Savior,’ as his delicate tone and high pitch are perfect for this pearly instrumental. ‘Save The Savior’ begins the record on a glorious note. ‘In Grey’ has a somewhat similar ethereal tone to the first track, but feels a bit colder and shimmery. There is something about this melody that actually reminds me of 1980s Synth-Pop music. It is like an incredibly atmospheric version of the music made by Cyndi Lauper or artists akin to her. The intro for this song, although enjoyable to listen to, does drag on a bit too much for me. ‘In Grey’ is a 6:10 song, and the beat does not come in until about halfway through the track. When the beat does come in, it transports the song into a different dimension. Its industrial DnB sound fits this melody so well and makes the song feel robotic(in the best way). The vocals on this song are excellent. James Blake does his thing, but Lil Yatchy especially stands out, as his tone fits this melody awesomely. ‘In Grey’ has a super cool sound, but I almost would like for a “radio version” of this one that is shorter to make the song hit a bit harder. ‘Midnight’ is not quite as heavenly as the first two tracks, but it is certainly more atmospheric. The synths that drive this track are so luscious; the varying levels of distortion make the song feel so raw. The best part of the melody(and of the track in general) is the bridge, as it makes me feel like I am floating in space. I really enjoy the quirky beat on this track, as its intricate feeling adds to the light industrial feeling of the track. The beat feels like a combination of Pop-Rock and DnB, which is pretty strange and cool. Like ‘Save The Savior,’ Lil Yatchy’s vocals are kind of abrasive and inviting at the same time, and James Blake’s tone makes the song feel so sweet. If I ever get the opportunity to go to the moon, I would not mind if ‘Midnight’ played in the background. ‘Woo’ is a track that is emerging as a fan favorite. It is not tough to see why, For one, this is the most accessible track of the project so far for sure. It does keep the atmospheric feeling of the first three songs but feels more modern. This song sounds futuristic. It is like a pumped-up version of the music The Weeknd has been making for the last few years. The beat has elements of Jersey Club music and Trap music, fitting very well into the trends that are big in Hip Hop today. James Blake is solid on ‘Woo,’ but Lil Yatchy completely kills it. His flow is dynamic and his fluctuating tone adds so much life and emphasis to the track. ‘Woo’ is a track that has a summer smash hit written all over it; I would be surprised if this one does not become very popular.
‘Bad Cameo’ returns to the deliberate and ethereal style of production that we got to start out the record. This may be the most atmospheric and floaty song yet, which is saying a lot. The synths that drive this melody feel like they came from an entirely different planet. The tone of the melody on this one is a bit colder than the first four tracks, giving the song a bit more of a metallic feeling. ‘Bad Cameo’ has no beat, which really adds to the otherworldly nature of the song. Neither of the vocal performances on this song is crazy or enthralling, but both Lil Yachty and James Blake do enough to complement the instrumental. ‘Bad Cameo’ is a 180° switch in energy from ‘Woo,’ and it brings back the calm feeling the album had before that point. Whereas I thought the progression on ‘In Grey’ was maybe a bit too long for me, I think the progression on ‘Missing Man’ is perfect. This one begins with the most simple instrumentation of the record, with Lil Yachty and James Blake singing over a distorted keyboard riff. As the intro of the track progresses, more synths come in to make the song more full. About halfway through ‘Missing Man,’ a crescendo of synths comes in and a DnB beat kicks in, giving the song so much positive energy. Although the instrumental gets so much bigger and quicker, the flow in the vocals from James Blake stays fairly relaxed. I love how the vocal style contrasts with the instrumental style in the second half of the track, as it gives the song such a cool texture. ‘Missing Man’ is such a great example of a song building up and coming to an epic climax; like so many other moments on this album, it highlights the vision and production skills of these two artists. ‘Twice’ may be the most different-sounding song from the other on this record so far. It is also in the running for being my favorite track(‘Woo’ is hard to beat, I can not lie). Although this song does definitely sound futuristic, it is not as atmospheric as the album has been before this point. Instead, it is the most metallic and robotic-sounding track. It is also the most chaotic track, as there are so many weird sound effects in this one, and the change in melody is pretty dramatic. The beats on ‘Twice’ are just as cool as the melodies; the track’s first half has a Hip Hop and House music fusion, and the second half has a pounding Trap sound. As fun as this instrumental is, the vocals match its energy. Both James Blake and Lil Yachty are exceptional on this one and make it all the more captivating. ‘Twice’ is another major highlight from this record where both of these artists show off their talents in not only production but also vocals.
Like ‘Missing Man,’ ‘Transport Me’ is a track that starts pretty soft and simple and gets increasingly wild and weird as the track goes on. The first half of the song has a Jazzy Trap sound that is so warm and sweet. About halfway through the track, the beat speeds up and takes on a bit of a House music feeling. Tons of other synths and weird sound effects come in and drown the melody. Both the change-up in beat and the melody make the song feel anxious, which is super strange considering the coziness of the beginning of the song. The vocals on ‘Transport Me’ are adequate, but most of the focus has to be put on this insane instrumental. I do like the vocal effects and distortion in the vocals at the end of the track, as they fit the instrumental perfectly. ‘Transport Me’ is an aptly named song, as it makes me feel like I am being abducted by aliens when I hear it. ‘Run Away From The Rabbit’ is the first song that feels like a bit of a miss for me. This song is not bad at all, it just does not grab me as much as the others do. The vocal effects throughout this track are pretty cool, but the instrumental is just a bit bland compared to all the other ones. It consists of a deliberate piano riff complemented by synths, and it is certainly pleasant but not entirely fascinating. ‘Run Away From The Rabbit’ is a decent song, but it does not quite live up to the music before it. James Blake and Lil Yatchy close out Bad Cameo with ‘Red Carpet.’ To be honest, I don’t even know how to describe this track; it is easily the most abnormal song on the record, which is obviously saying a ton. This song feels significantly darker in tone than anything preceding it. This melody is cold and almost unnerving. It kind of makes me think of the backrooms when I hear this song. The vocals on ‘Red Carpet,’ although high-quality, do add to the unsettling feeling of it. James Blake and Lil Yatchy’s vocals are doctored in a way that makes this song feel even more mystifying. I figured these two were going to bring things to an end in an extremely strange manner, and they managed that on ‘Red Carpet.’
Going into Bad Cameo, considering the sonic trajectory that James Blake and Lil Yatchy have been on as of late, I figured I would be in for a wacky ride. I do not think I could have been prepared for what we got on this record, though. One thing is incredibly clear after listening to Bad Cameo; James Blake and Lil Yachty are awesome producers, and there is no limit to where they are willing to take their music. They create a sonic landscape on this album that is incomparable. They take the best elements from both of their distinct styles and craft a setting that blasts me through the stars when I listen to it. I will not say that every moment on this record is perfect, but its execution as a whole makes up for what some of its individual parts may lack. Bad Cameo is an album that I could have never seen coming, but I am very glad that James Blake and Lil Yachty came together to do this, but is ultimately just very cool for what it is.
EAST SIDE VIBES 