For San Antonio artist Brooklyn Michelle, getting stood up means more than just going home with disappointment — it means getting revenge.
That’s the premise in her latest single, “Stick Up.” Coming off of her upcoming LP Lithium, written and produced by Brooklyn Michelle herself, the track is an unapologetic mix of alternative hip hop sounds, giving anyone who has wronged the singer in the past a run for their money.
Brooklyn Michelle Pushes Boundaries of Hip Hop
The track opens with a somewhat off-putting combination of deep synth beats that sound like a person trying to formulate “ah” and “oh” sounds through a voice modifier and Brooklyn Michelle’s soulful vocals.
They exude the type of attitude that you don’t want to mess with. She gives off a sort of Bonnie and Clyde vibe, incorporating the feel of an old-school mobster with a contemporary musical hip hop backdrop.
“Oh whatchu heard of a cold bloody murder / A little disturbed I thought that’s what you liked about me,” she sings as another thumping layer of bass is added, seducing her audience with an eerie mix of vengeful lyrics and creeping synth beats.
“Don’t make me pull the trigga / While you ain’t makin’ moves I’m gettin big big bigga! / And you were talkin’ all that noise / Like I’ma fix ya,” she continues, creating an empowering atmosphere that only adds to her big-boss persona.
Perhaps one of the most intriguing things about this track is the mixture of various musical elements. In the production of “Stick Up,” Brooklyn Michelle included her own smooth vocals, a simple yet alluring bassline, and even raps throughout the song.
Admittedly, the mix was sort of disorienting at first — the vocals don’t seem to match the hard synth sounds of the instrumental, and the rapping kind of comes out of nowhere. I half expected Michelle to continue singing against the minor key of the track. However, these elements are also what give the song its edge. It’s unexpected, it’s unapologetic, and it’s a song that simply doesn’t care about appealing a mass audience. Its cool, off-beat tone is something that isn’t heard a lot, which makes for a refreshing in-your-face kind of track.
Brooklyn Michelle’s “Stick Up” certainly has enough attitude to sustain itself, which is why I’m very excited to hear the rest of her album, Lithium, when it comes out in the fall.
