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With 5 billion streams worldwide and two sold-out shows at Alexandra Palace, the Lewisham duo D-Block Europe has found great success with their unique approach: a mix of sugary Auto-Tune effects, explicit lyrics, moody trap beats, and dreamy hooks about selling drugs. However, on their third album, Young Adz and Dirtbike LB’s formula proves to have its constraints.
The beginning of the song is hopeful, with a powerful spoken-word introduction discussing preventing suicidal thoughts. However, it soon turns into derogatory talk about sex and repetitive verses about material possessions. In the same way, the song “Not All Heroes Wear Capes” uses a haunting vibraphone sound to cleverly shift between feelings of joy and despair, highlighting the need for those in power to be constantly aware. But then the lyrics reveal a disrespectful attitude towards women by stating a refusal to die without wealth. Whenever the duo touches on deeper topics, they quickly retreat.
They still have the ability to create a popular song. Highlight Eagle has an enticing chorus and a compelling rags-to-riches theme: “I earned half a million for Wireless / I made my mother proud.” However, their lyrics lack the depth necessary to make references to drinking Patron and buying expensive jackets seem earned rather than cliché: I Need It Now could easily be mistaken for a Deliveroo commercial. Their music remains as captivating as ever: Rolling Stone is filled with addictive trap beats that blend glory and paranoia. Unfortunately, D-Block Europe’s lyrics are lacking in the nuance that would elevate them to a deeper level.
Source: theguardian.com
