Over the years, from20 has leaned into a sort of “colorful himbo” character and it’s good, campy fun. His spring single Eye Candy replicated early-2000s hip-hop more convincingly that the vast majority of current Y2K-inspired tracks and that’s because it didn’t forget to be silly. A cartoonish streak ran through much of millennial pop music — vibrant and irony-free. That approach continues with new single Social.
Social doubles down on Eye Candy‘s flirty concept as the music moves further into retro R&B. The gurgling bass has a satisfying 90s sound paired with a shuffling beat reminiscent of the early-00s Neptunes’ productions. In other words, these influences are right within my wheelhouse and make a nice transition from the more 80s-informed synthpop of from20’s earlier work. As usual, he and collaborator Hello Gloom have an incredible knack for a hook and the ability to make nostalgic sounds feel fresh. They’re joined by a few co-writers this time around, but the overall sound still fits within the Way Better aesthetic.
Social isn’t as flashy as many of from20’s past singles, but its groove quickly gets under your skin and will likely stay there for the long term. His croon is stuffed with character and works surprisingly well within this genre. As usual, the song is relatively slight, clocking in at under three minutes. Now that the Way Better guys have proven themselves masters of many genres, I’d love to hear them tackle something more ambitious. A song like this is crying out for a sick instrumental break and could have easily filled another minute of space.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
