LIPSTICK/T R A N S P A R E N T S O U L
Dare I say that pop punk…is back? The 14-year-old in me is living, seeing such a resurgence of the genre all over TikTok, but what I’m most excited about right now is Willow Smith's two-song EP LIPSTICK/T R A N S P A R E N T S O U L, which is giving very Y2K pop-punk vibes.
Both songs are absolute fire, but I must say T R A N S P A R E N T S O U L is the one for me. The song reminds me a lot of Paramore and Blink 182, which makes total sense because the latter’s drummer, Travis Barker, is credited on the song. The track uses familiar chords and hard-hitting percussion in true pop punk fashion, but what really nails the genre are the lyrics. Willow comes straight out of the gate with an attitude, digging into how people around her can be fake. You can really tell that she’s genuine about navigating her sound and who she is—which just makes me love her and these songs even more.
—Eden Bekele, Digital Associate
