Hollow River is a rapper from Toronto, Canada who engages with emo pop-punk and rap music and released his debut album “Bleed Only Water” in 2019. And now, after leaving Berklee and signing with Ninetone Records, he’s back with “Aspartame,” an indie emo and passionate anthem that fuses the melody of emo rock with the flair of current rap. “Aspartame” was published on November 30th, and it demonstrates Hollow River’s experience and skills.
After being introduced awesomely with a lovely message expressed in the voice of a youngster, Hollow River begins to rap at the 10th second of the song with his melodic vocals accompanied by brilliant and colorful guitar strums that offer so much depth to his flow. Soon after, we are hit with distorted guitars and appropriate percussion, which create the fundamental rhythmic arrangement of the song and provide it with that immaculate production. Hollow River has demonstrated extensive expertise with this song, and for a brief moment when he began rapping, I thought I was listening to Eminem. Hollow River nails every note in the song. He delivers a heartfelt performance, and we can genuinely feel his emotions.
With the song’s lively and frenetic beat, listeners will question what type of love Hollow River has for “Aspartame,” and I would say, there’s an intriguing concept behind it. It features a one-of-a-kind motif that adds to the uniqueness of the song. It’s a song about his childhood when his parents made him switch from ordinary soda to diet soda. So lyrically, Hollow River says the song is about “those feelings of being told something about the world is normal and realizing that the narrative you’ve been sold isn’t real but how those lies cause real harm.” He then utilizes this song to raise awareness about negative comments and imposed habits, as well as the consequences for mankind.
By the song’s objective, the words allure us into a state of introspection and serendipity. And, while the melody is kept basic, it has a powerful harmonic structure. The crescendo precision is also quite fluid and enjoyable with essential components to keep us captivated. His lyricism and flow are probably my standout features, and I must say that he is pretty exceptional. The accompanying video conjures up perfect imagery in our thoughts and keeps us glued to the tune. Overall, “Aspartame” is the perfect tune for Hollow River to demonstrate his passion for music.
Listen to “Aspartame” by Hollow River on Spotify or SoundCloud and watch the video with the link above and let us know your thoughts.
You can follow Hollow Rivers here for more information.
