Although I’ve become a massive fan of Hip-Hop influenced Punk Rock music for quite a few years at this point, Lil Aaron was really the first artist I was introduced to in this realm of the music industry. He just has this incredible way of combining many different genres with one another without giving up any of his artistic integrity, making every single song even better than ever before. It’s because of him that I was put onto smrtdeath, an equally enthralling and talented artist who provides some similar aesthetics to that of Aaron, so when they come together and make music, it’s a guaranteed hit every time.
Earlier this month, the duo teamed up yet again to release a fantastic track entitled “She Told Me to Kill Myself”. Although the title and lyrical content might be a bit shocking, these are themes that aren’t really anything new if you’ve followed along with either artist’s career thus far. Jakkyboi, Omega, and Jordan all teamed up to tackle the production on this hit, utilizing some lively electric guitar licks, booming 808s, and chattering Hip-Hop inspired production for a speedy, lively instrumental that creates a familiar yet incredible foundation for smrt and Aaron to go to town on. As smrt begins to sing the hook, there are a couple of layers to his vocals, one of which is almost screamed in the background, elevating the passion within the main vocals amazingly.
When Aaron comes in for the first verse, the beat tones down and the guitar becomes slightly calmer. His vocals use a familiar granular filter in a way that is typically used in many of his other offerings, but it’s these effects coupled with the autotune on his voice that are what made me a fan of his in the first place, so they’re always a welcome addition to any record. He begins singing in a lower tone before heightening the pitch of his voice by the end of every line prior to switching up yet again and spitting out some shorter, choppier lines that bounce along on the beat perfectly. On the bridge leading into the next chorus, the two sing the same few lines at the same time, bringing together smrt’s background vocals with Aaron’s main vocals, providing a nice transition into another captivatingly emotional hook.
When it comes time for smrt’s verse, the beat simplifies yet again and his vocals take on similar traits to that of his counterpart’s, toning down his passionate delivery to truly get his point across as he gives us a wonderful verse through changes of the intonation in his voice along with a sort of carefree yet emotive quality behind every word he sings. During one more quick bridge before one final hook, a pitched-down background voice pairs with his main vocals to bring even more dexterity to the song than ever before. As for the vocals, the pair talks about their struggles dealing with thoughts of suicide and many of their stresses that can be traced back to the women in their lives while also tackling topics like treating themselves well and living their lives to the best of their abilities as long as they’re still alive.
I bring this track up because of the fascinating new music video that was delivered just a few days ago, and it’s as inventive and out of the ordinary as ever. As the visual opens up, smrt, Aaron, and Jakkyboi are playing this retro-looking video game called Pickel Cats. While they seem to be characters implanted in the game, their frustration is evident as they continue to die as messages in the game read off macabre phrases such as “death is certain”. Cheesy, Adult-Swim-inspired green screenshots are shown throughout as they make their way through the game in these strange yet creative worlds. As the three guys continue to lose the game and struggle, the girl in the video seems to be having a blast, leveling up without any problems before calling them and rubbing it in their faces. Finally, they all start working together to defeat her as her frustrations are clear after their newfound success before beams of like capture every person, actually sending them into the game itself.
Sure, my description of the video might sound confusing and weird, but it’s one of those videos where there is so much happening that you just kind of need to see it for yourself in order to understand where I’m coming from. I’m not surprised at this visual whatsoever because Lil Aaron and smrtdeath have always been known to think outside of the box and gift fans with some of the most unique music videos in the industry, so although it might be strange to some, I always make sure to tune into their offerings because I know they’re going to deliver something crazy and individualistic every single time. When it comes to the song itself, it’s absolutely amazing and artistic, and it’s been a track that I’ve been religiously bumping since it dropped in the middle of this month. If you’re a fan of these two artists, you know you’re in for a treat with their latest music video for “She Told Me to Kill Myself”, so make sure you check it out and see the chaos unfold for yourself.