20-year-old Quadeca’s fifth studio album “From Me To You” falls under a category of refreshing recitation that tells a story of heartache, heartbreak, and heartburn (check your cholesterol early on guys, it sneaks up on you), and has been the subject of my obsession for the past five months.
With the pandemic inspiring story-telling albums like Swift’s “Folklore” and the Weeknd’s “After Hours,” “From Me to You” wandered into the spotlight with promising singles such as “Sisyphus” and “”Alone Together,” and he and I have been familiar with each other since. This poor man has been run through my car’s stereo so many times and I’ll be damned if he stops anytime soon.
My radio hostage has been turning in my mind over and over and over until the little goblins in my brain started to beg for work (the goblin recession had hit them hard, they needed the wages), so here we are: hours and hours of work into talking about an album that hit me upside the head, called me a dumbass, and wormed its way into my top 10 albums of all time. As we continue on our triple-pronged dissective journey of Quadeca’s work, keep in mind that this is my opinion, and though yours is completely valid, this is my time to shine — so wait until the comments to toss away your respect for me and my taste in music.
***Disclaimer! My listening experience is different to yours, we both know that. However, I have a disorder called synesthesia in which my senses are crossed and connected. This results in sounds (especially music!) triggering colors, textures, smells, tastes, and feelings for me. This obviously changes my experience from a person without synesthesia, and has an active effect in my enjoyment of any and all music. So though it may not have a hand in your favorite or least favorite songs, it certainly dictates a portion of my own opinions. Carry on!***
I am a firm believer that the other louder and more dynamic tracks unfairly overshadow this hidden gem of a track. Some say “But Anna, his vocals are too strained, they’re not strong, it’s a ballad not a banger, blah blah blah BLAH.” I have three words for anyone that believes that: Pearls. Before. Swine.
Quadeca’s expressive voice is one of his biggest strengths that truly spotlights his uniqueness, and it paints a drowning atmospheric quality that you can get lost in. Vocal strain specifically adds so much emotion to the already emotional theme and production of the song. This song makes my lungs warm in a way that only happens with emotional songs, where it feels like I’ve been yelling to the point where my vocal chords share the same phantom vibrato. I am a sucker for any portrayal of weary sadness, where the artist expresses helplessness that ultimately dissolves into self-described patheticness, and man does this song scream feeling pathetically and irreversibly heartbroken.
As a track compared to the rest of an album about the dangers and consequences of vulnerability, this song feels almost sacredly vulnerable as a result of the mixing, placing the vocals at rock-bottom and the backing track far above the eyeline of the listener. You are at the bottom of a crystal clear ocean, the sand is grazing your bare skin, you’re looking up and the sun is shining through the waterline, but the only thing getting to the surface are the air bubbles leaving your lips.
The visceral feel of this song does not fall victim to the at times garish production that some tracks of this album often do, and it almost feels like it was leaked or that it was a drunk voicemail. This is a song to dance alone, in a dark room, with your eyes closed. The production is absolutely phenomenal.
I promise to wrap this song up, but let me tell ya: this song is an experience for lil’ ole me. A thin line of orange runs through the entire song with his subdued vocals, while the atmosphere is illuminated with a thin glass mosaic of reds and purples, and the light reflected off of these shards shines yellow and sometimes gray fractals. It’s such a great image, and it feels like breathing in a lung-full of cold water with no resistance from the body. My insides turn chilled in a way that doesn’t make me shiver, but it feels like a cold paper towel to the forehead during a fever. Amazing track, and it doesn’t get nearly enough praise.
Best Lyric: “Sometimes, the ground ain’t so far away”
SISYPHUS
This song is a self-aware honesty dump and I’m a big fan, to say the least. “Sisyphus” is probably my favorite example of the production style within “From Me to You,” with his own energy matching the movement and dynamics of the song as it progresses, even up until the outro. It doesn’t hurt that I’m a massive nerd and will always be a sucker for a well-placed allusion, so utilizing the myth of Sisyphus in a way that escapes pretentiousness while effectively delivering the central theme of the album makes this song a rare gem. For those of you reading that didn’t have a Percy Jackson phase, the myth of Sisyphus describes a man that cheats death twice, much to the dismay of the gods. Zeus punishes him by condemning him to the Underworld to push a boulder up a hill, only for it to always fall back down, and to repeat this for all eternity. Being addicted to the idea of success you’ve convinced yourself of but feeling like the climb to the top might not be worth it is such a tangible emotion for overachievers, and his reference to mythology suits this topic impossibly.
References to Greek mythology aside, his vocals are actually a highlight of this song and provide a base to return to when the production builds seemingly too much, only to be brought down before it gets irritating. The lyricism within “Sisyphus” features expertly-placed imagery and detail that allows listeners to see exactly what he asks them to, and the image is nearly tangible with the support of his vocals and production.
Not to mention the ever present colors in my mind! The outro is exciting to say the least, with cymbals catalyzing white light that looks like sparks and the percussion looking similar to lightning. His vocals paint a lone figure in a massive cataclysmic thunderstorm, and I catch myself losing my train of thought every single time the closer starts because I retreat into the fantasy Quadeca has painted for me.
Best Lyric: “And I love you to pieces, ’til it’s all were left with” and “Everything feels better when surrounded by the space I need to fill”
BURNIN’ BRIDGES/LONG DAY FEAT. IDK
At the absolute least, this song is simply one of the most fun, cocky, and ambitious tracks on the album. Quadeca’s unbelievable energy makes this song addictive, and his delivery is impressive (let’s remember that his ability to be expressive sets him apart!). Burning bridges may seem like the easiest solution to deal with a long day, but if Quadeca does it, it’s gonna be a banger to listen to. As far as synesthesia goes, it’s nothing too special, but it’s electric nonetheless.
As one of the best songs on the album, it’s defining feature is its contagious energy that Quadeca starts and IDK maintains excellently. The shift following IDK’s verses is engaging and reenergizing, only making the song stand out more and showcases his talent as a songwriter/producer. It’s without a doubt one of the best songs Quadeca has ever released and is a great example of his cocky charisma translating into a performance.
Best Lyric: “Practice what you preach, I guess that’s why they talkin’ trash“
SUMMIT PT. 2
The final installment of any work of any media should feel like a farewell. Whether it’s gentle, violent, depressing, it should feel like a goodbye, and “Summit Pt. 2” does exactly that. The hodgepodge production provides a gentle and suitingly emotional parting interaction in which the listener feels like a confidante, ultimately building a feeling of finding an easter egg hidden for anyone that cared enough to listen the entire way through. The lyricism and vocals within this song truly do not get enough recognition, and I would get any and all of the verses tattooed on my body in a heartbeat (Mom, that was hyperbolic and please do not worry about me getting a tattoo any time soon).
This song reads like a poem, and I can’t help but identify devices as I listen. Metaphors initiate a dangerous game where artistry gets lost in translation, and intention turns into being a pretentious shitter. But with his careful usage of figurative speech intertwined with his ever present and skillful imagery, he further employs passive voice to depict a synesthetically tangible emotion: I can taste remorse like drops of lemonade and feel it like feathers. In my brain, this song quite literally drips emotion, and with possibly the best vocals on the album. This song is an achievement.
Best Lyric: “The place I’ll return is different now/ Before it goes to you, it starts from me“
SUMMIT PT. 1
With this being the more lyric heavy version of “Summit Pt. 2,” I can’t help but love it. With the added lyrics, it provides effective communication of a summary in which he explains nearly all of the main ideas introduced throughout the entire album without coming across as too scattered — not to mention the key changes at the beginning of the song that invoke the idea of the beginning of the end. The production translates as minty and metallic, with fruity undertones that make the song such an introduction to the second part.
He provides careful delivery and manages to avoid appearing gauche in his vocals. I have personally had a soft spot for penultimate because not only are they often overshadowed by the finale, but they also tend to focus on the plot deliverers rather than wrapping up the storyline. Development is clearer in water non-muddled by a showdown of endings, and this track attempts to deliver final remarks separate from a goodbye.
Best Lyric: “When the ambient wind was like deafening applause/ Right in plain sight“
*A-TIER*
CANDLES ON FIRE
This song is definitely the most cinematic out of the album, where I could see it finding its way onto a movie soundtrack. I’m a big fan of what Quadeca knows, which is a cocky track with breathless momentum and charmingly clever and catchy chorus: this fits “Candles on Fire” to a T.
The bridge is absolutely insane, and I am breathless by the end of it from just listening to it. Quadeca’s characteristic energy-filled and expressive delivery makes the song addictive, and this song is just so FUN! Charged with electricity and pouring at the brim with neon orange light and liquid purple backing beats, this song is a great addition to the album and deserves more attention.
Best Lyric: “These sparks are fickle and simple-minded/ Flashlight in the dark; how people gon’ get behind ’em?“
ALONE TOGETHER
Right off the bat, this song introduces a really intense and isolating environment in which my synesthesia paints a dark and brooding red and brown pulsing ocean with flashing maroons. Its message of confronting freshly painful memories and lost pride combined with the sour-tasting production makes it one of the best tracks to introduce the darker themes throughout the album and was a perfect choice for a single. Its subject matter surrounding confronting past mistakes and lost pride with the inescapable presence of fresh heartbreak establishes “Alone Together” as one of the more introspective and honest tracks of the album, and it has its benefits to outshine its detriments.
The best way I can describe this song is immersive. The mixing creates palpable gravity that makes feel like something is pushing down on my forehead, to the point where I subconsciously close my eyes every time the intro begins (think going upside down on a roller coaster). Despite the “Hakuna Matata” line, it’s a feat of production and a worthwhile listen.
Best Lyric: “But I cannot try to search/ Because if I lose my spot, I will have to walk by/ All of the rocks I left unturned“
SMILING AT THE GROUND
I am very aware that placing this song this high (or even allowing it anywhere near the A-tier) is very controversial, and I understand that this song has its own flaws. This song does not carry my favorite melody and harbors some of the most irritating vocals available on the album; however, there’s a reason I put the song this high.
I spend a lot of time on the internet, and the most visible theme within “Smiling at the Ground” appears to be its seemingly inescapable ability to remove people from reality. Most of the lyrics hit the nail on the head, to the point where I laughed out loud at some verses during my first listen. It’s an interesting way to call out the strange perception of artists that are active on the internet in the eyes of their listeners. It’s easy to get lost in the curated image of someone whose work you identify with, but as for the artist, it must be a strange phenomena to have several versions of yourself that you can’t control.
Being the person to relate to and provide content requires unraveling yourself and then trying to continue living under the guise of normalcy, and this song delivers that message succinctly, whether it be through clever lyrics or annoying vocals. This song has something to offer, it just happens to fall victim to gauche production and an attempt at pop vocals.
Best Lyric: “Now I’m drownin’ in reverbial screams/ Disguised as an aesthetic/ I’m a fucking guilty pleasure“
*B-TIER*
SHADES OF US
The intro to this song is promising and eccentric; however, the rest of the song is a slight let down in the presence of such a potentially exciting intro. His vocals leave room for improvement, but he continues to maintain his expressive cadence and the overall production of the song does cause excellent synesthesia: pink and deep blue rust forms on black metal, with the constant neon orange flashes of his voice.
It isn’t the strongest lyrically, but it has solid production and effectively portrays the lingering and festering sadness that grows following the end of a relationship. It has a memorable melody, and is a good song, just not a great vocal performance.
Best Lyric: “Where did they go?/ Where did you go?“
COULOIR (INTRO)
A couloir is a “steep, narrow gully on a mountainside” according to a quick Google search, and I imagine that’s where we enter his climb in the dreamy key of “Couloir (Intro).” The fantastical tonation of this intro invokes the feeling of entering a dream while simultaneously introducing the glitchy and erratic theme of production, and it does so with grace. This song tastes like dragon fruit and appears as baby blue powder with lemon mixed in both color and taste, so the synesthesia is on the better half of the album.
It does its job of centralizing the focus of the album, where a bigger climb might not always result in a beautiful reward or summit: instead, it can lead to less oxygen, more exhaustion, isolation, and the daunting task of finding your way back down. There is nothing necessarily wrong with this song, it’s just not as strong as those listed in the previous tiers.
Best Lyric: “I mean, all that altitude- does is make it harder to climb it, because of the lack of oxygen“
VERGLAS (INTERLUDE)
In true ‘couloir’ fashion, a Google search reveals that a verglas is a “thin coating of ice or frozen rain on an exposed surface.” In the context of the interlude, it emphasizes the dangers of parallel slips: to lose control and slip downward after uncontrollably succeeding leads to feeling incomplete without outside validation and productivity, whereas slipping upwards leads to strained relationships and bolstered ego.
With a large mountain comes several slippery slopes, and in isolation as damning as success, it’s all too simple to spiral at the thought of being cheated out of love in the wake of self-reflection — this album describes a distinct heartbreak, and this one lost relationship becomes a focal point of panic in his rise to success. The spiral is clear in my synesthesia as his helplessness and desolation appear in shades of washed pinks and gentle blues, the song smelling floral and remorseful.
In order to establish a sense of panic, Quadeca utilizes repetition and anaphora to illustrate slipping farther and farther down while climbing higher and higher up. Gentle panic is the most subtle, but it is by far the most deceitful. I’ve always thought of the clips as exposition or checkpoints, as the listener is traveling with Quadeca throughout his journey up the mountain and avoiding falling prey to crouching verglas, ready to catch him off guard in his growing unsureness. This interlude is interesting, but not that interesting in production or delivery, and leaves room for more complex explorations of such a potentially compelling idea.
Best Lyric: “Do you love me all you—/ All you can?/ Please stop/ I’m just feelin’ numb“
MAYBE ANOTHER DAY
At first, this song makes me think, “We’ve certainly all been there,” and then it turns to, “Oh God, can someone give him a hug?” As far as the content goes, it’s a little too close to home at the moment, and it is an excellent portrayal of the bleakness of living in a period following success. Though the guitar work is as catchy as the chorus and the lyrics revolving around the performance of constant self-reflection were introspective, it is just not my type of song.
The production is good, but it isn’t my favorite: though it matches the tone of the song, the tempo and rhythm of the song seem haphazard. I’m not a fan of the further mismatched backing vocals mixed with the strings and glitchy or dramatic production: I think it was ambitious production, but in my opinion, the dream wasn’t realized. That being said, the mixing and build-up of the song’s atmosphere puts so much pressure on my nose that every time I listen to it, I feel like I’m going to sneeze. Though it sounds clashing (and the mixes of greens and purples make it look a little clashing), his lyrical and vocal delivery is excellent and the track holds up as a positive contributor to the album.
Best Lyric: “So tell me, what now?/ Why my catharsis feelin’ like errands to me?“
*C-TIER*
IT’S ALL A GAME
The song is enticingly unique to the rest of the album with its piano twangs while carefully existing on the spectrum of production within the album. As always, he features his wordplay that always makes his songs addicting; however, some of that charm is lost in excess effects during the chorus and verses. It’s nearly saved by the excellent canny vocals that swell into reverb, especially leading into the last couple of verses with the key change. The only reason the song is this low is that nearly all of its best traits are drowned out by the distracting production choices that aren’t necessary to the potential quality of the song.
Overshadowing effects aside, I can’t help but ignore how colorful the song is. In the piano intro alone, there are royal purples, golds, and greens swirling with our favorite neon orange. His ambition may sometimes elude him, but I’ll be damned if he can’t make intros.
Best Lyric: “Forgot how you feel, I got accustomed to the shattered glass“
HALLSTATT (INTERLUDE)
I really love the instrumentals in this track — they translate as eerie rather than garish as some tracks tend to do within the album. The only thing about this track is that it’s not great. It’s not bad, but it’s not great. It’s relationship to the rest of the album is slightly convoluted, as following some research, Hallstatt is a town in Austria next to a mountain range that was historically extremely difficult to enter. However, in the past five years, it has become subject to rampant over-tourism to the point where the city has had to limit tourists allowed inside.
With further thought, the meaning is clear (and yes, it’s a mountain town, so I guess it’s a little related), and the concept is original, but as a track both in production and execution, I’m just a little lukewarm on it.
Best Lyric: “If I haven’t been climbing for several days, I get withdrawals“
WORK FEAT. PLAYTHATBOIZAY
I will start by saying this song is catchy, that much I can’t deny. I do enjoy Quadeca’s verses, and there are the classically clever lyrics. The flow of the song as well as the backing track are both dynamic and exciting, and I love a good cocky Quadeca song. That’s where the joy ends for me.
Synesthesia plays a big role in my opinion of this song, as I cannot stand the greenish brownish color of Zay’s voice. It has everything to do with his dull intonation, and it makes the chorus irritating every time. His feature doesn’t work for me, but Quadeca’s contributions save this song from D-tier. Not to the benefit of my opinion on this song, the switch in tone from “Hallstatt (Interlude)” is jarring, to say the least. Best Lyric: “I can only love you from like 3:15 to 5 PM/ Workin’ for the man, I have yet to meet him, though/ They gon’ understand- (“Who’s ‘they’?”) I don’t even know“
*D-TIER*
SWALLOWED THE KEY (INTERLUDE)
I am not a fan of his usage of accidentals throughout the entire song– I’m aware that there is likely emotional intention behind these note choices, but that does not make these choices pleasing to the ear. Its bluish-grayish colors and overdrawn orange vocals don’t establish the track as anything fantastic based on synesthesia. I don’t think the production matches the bluesy pop vocals (speaking of the vocals, the ones featured on this track come across Aguilerian — as in Christina Aguilera — as more of an inexperienced display of potential rather than an asset of the song), and the over-exaggerated effects mixed with the aforementioned bluesy vocals makes it difficult to empathize with his sadness.
Though I am someone who has a pretty positive opinion of interludes and transitions between tracks in a body of work, I don’t see the purpose of this song, and I think the concept is somewhat veering from the central theme of the album.
Best Lyric: “Right a few wrongs and hope they all undo/ Lock your river in a cage, and act surprised when it all falls through“
Look, I wish I could have a real reason to dislike this song as much as I do. I wish I could blame it on synesthesia or write a pretty sentence on why I can’t connect to the lyrics. I can’t! This song is just annoying to me. I don’t like any vocals, don’t like the feature, don’t like the lyrics. It’s just forgettable to me, and seems irrelevant to the rest of the album.
WHERE’D YOU GO?
The intro gives me hope, and then it doesn’t. This song gives me absolutely massive Logan Paul vibes, and that should be enough to end this passage. His delivery is a risk, and instead of exciting or fun, it feels crass and irritating. Some lyrics feel slightly like a soapbox, and they often feel rushed, even offbeat at times. The chorus is frustrating, and the post-chorus is probably the most redeemable part of the entire track.
This song is annoying in a way that only this album could recover from through both “Summits” cushioning the final leg. That being said, I have to admit that I still sing along and guiltily have a hard time skipping this song.
Best Lyric: “So I’ma clap my hands, a perpetual misfit/ Numbers get big, my math skills simplistic“
Bottom line, I am a fan of this album. I think there is some impressive story-telling, both in lyrics and in production. I believe that Quadeca has his work cut out for him in terms of vocal performance, and think his vocals as well as more “From Me to You-” type works have a lot of potential. He should keep an eye out for more features like IDK who match his energy, as features can bring so much energy and variety to an already strong album. One of his biggest faults seems to be leaning on wordplay: these lyrics are often fun, but are great in moderation and tend to lose their novelty when they fall victim to low-hanging fruit.
I am biased, as every person is, as art cannot exist in a vacuum. However, this album did help distract me from a rough and stressful time in my life. Through analyzing my likes and dislikes of the album, I was able to look forward to listening to it pretty much every day — though art’s purpose can be scrutinized, feeling more human and valid as a result another’s creation is certainly an aspect of art’s existence, and it certainly did so in my own experience.
However, Quadeca attempts to establish a warning several times throughout the album: try not to be an irresponsible tourist in artists’ realities. Content is great, it’s what many of us live for and live to make: this does not equate to idolizing or conversely dehumanize artists, however, and if you aren’t getting the content you want from someone, find another person to patronize and move on. Famous people are obviously people, but they still will probably never know you despite being normal everyday citizens. Respect that, and more artists may be able to feel comfortable interacting with their fans on the internet and produce content under less strain.
At the time of writing this article, Quadeca has no newly announced projects– instead, you can check out his pre-existing works on all streaming platforms including Spotify and Apple Music, and his socials are @Quadeca on both Twitter and Instagram. I’m excited to see what he’ll put out next, and Quadeca, if you ever see this, I’d like to give you a consulatory high-five (I’m not big on hugs, but that was a pretty sad album).
