From ‘Meme-Rap’ to Hyperpop: sammythefish and The Art of Figuring It Out
There’s no denying that music, as with all media, is an ever-evolving art form. The rules appear fluid, reshaping with every advancement in technology and social media. In an era where streams and follows ensure the longevity of an artist more than physical record sales, and Grammy Award winning albums are being produced in childhood bedrooms, it’s safe to say the rules have changed. But how has the professional industry's ease of entry defined what it means to start making music? Experimenting and figuring it out has never been easier.
This is the case for self producing musician, sammythefish. sammythefish, who intentionally identifies online in all lowercase, is the musical project of a fifteen year old in Miami, Florida. sammy, producing electronically-fueled projects within the constraints of a computer and a midi keyboard, got their inspiration from the ‘meme-rap’ scene that grew out of YouTube, a genre with direct intention to parody popular rap music. Signing with a collective of meme-rappers known as Flex Entertainment, sammy released several mixtapes into meme-rap scene.
Receiving some recognition from classmates and members of the the online meme-rap scene, sammy soon saw the potential with producing his own music. On August 14th, 2020, at fourteen years old, sammy released their first ‘serious’ single, Starlit, a mix of dance and electronic pop. Since this release, sammythefish has continued with his solo music venture, releasing two fully-produced albums in the last two years, with their third, Madly In Hate, releasing this Saturday, April 23rd.
In discussing with sammy the release of three albums in just under two years, they swear that it just truly comes by him naturally, “ I found that I cannot stop making music. Like, I’d tell myself “maybe this isn’t good, I should take a break” and then be back at my computer the next day. I found that my songwriting and everything else changes month to month. I usually give myself deadlines, but with this album I didn’t do any of that. It came out very naturally”. Madly In Hate shows progress in sammy’s music, an advancement beyond the parody-rapper he once considered himself. With this album, as well as their projects of the last couple of years, sammy is redefining themself.
And in mentioning the production of this newest album, sammy claims “It’s entirely me. I was planning on collaborating, but the people I had in mind weren’t very responsive, so I just did it by myself. Writing, production, everything”. This parallels Madly In Hate’s theme of self loathing and expressing personal rage. And so far, the album’s lead singles promise some of sammy’s most ambitious songs yet, such as Bad Thing, a fast-paced, dance-influenced fusion of electronic and hyper-pop, with songwriting that matches the strength in production. In discussing his production, sammy claims their process is rather minimalist. “All I really need is headphones, a computer, and a MIDI keyboard. I honestly feel the most rewarded when I challenge myself.” This feat in minimalism is impressive when listening to sammy’s music. It’s a testament that proper songwriting and true passion can go a long way with even the bare minimum of technical equipment.
sammythefish plans to premiere the new album this Friday at a listening party hosted virtually over Minecraft; a dystopian means of live performance that only seems to grow more prevalent today than ever before. Following suit of artists such as 100 Gecs, who hosted a Minecraft concert during the 2020 Pandemic, “I think live music will always be cool, no matter where or how. Holding music events is important to music’s core. It obviously won’t have the same effect virtually as in real life.” sammy has shared photos of the server being created for this event, a replica of the real life garage/studio where they create their music. A post on sammy’s Instagram reads, “this is a replica of my real life garage studio. it’s very special to me because my friends come here and i thought it would be fitting to do the thing here, since it’s where i made the album.”
Gameplay footage of sammythefish’s Madly In Hate Minecraft Listening Party, hosted this Friday, April 22nd at 6:00pm est.
Artists like sammythefish serve as a reminder for artists and musicians that the rules of what it means to be a music maker are forever changing. Don’t have access to a professional studio? Master what’s offered to you. Unable to book a real show? Create a virtual one on Minecraft. Today more than ever, an album created in a couple of weeks on a home computer and performed over a video game can represent a level of passionate creativity that matches the achievements of large scale artists under the leadership of record labels with decades of experience. I, for one, am excited to see where sammy will continue to go with music, it’s truly fascinating to see how the technological advances of today allow someone of such a young age to make a very real impact within the music industry.
Madly In Hate is available on streaming services this Saturday, April 23rd. Listen to the album early on his Minecraft event this Friday and follow sammythefish all across the internet here.
