The fifth studio album by
Blackbear
, 2020's
Everything Means Nothing
finds the Florida-born/Los Angeles based singer/producer offering more of his cross-pollinated blend of synthy, emo-tinged pop, hip-hop, and R&B. The album was produced by
and longtime collaborator
FRND
with additional production contributions by
Aaron Harmon
,
Jordan Reyes
, and
Marshmello
. It follows 2019's
Anonymous
and again showcases
's knack for imbuing his hooky, atmospheric jams with confessional lyrics, many of which tap into the zeitgeist and ennui of the social media age. On the catchy "Hot Girl Bummer" he crafts a snarky ode to influencer culture, "social awkward suicide that buy your lips and buy your likes." Similarly toxic vibes follow on the kinetic "I Feel Bad," in which
, either talking to his lover or himself, sings "You're so good at making me feel bad/You're like a college grad/That majored in the art of f*$@ing over everything we had." We also get similarly raw takes on love, as on the emotive "Me & Ur Ghost" and "Sobbing in Cabo." Elsewhere,
offers a handful of infectious anthems, including the
1975
-esque "Why Are Girls," "If I Were You" featuring
LAUV
, and "Clown" with
Trevor Daniel
. While
looks heavily into the myriad ways technology and social media have infiltrated, and in some cases wreaked havoc, with our emotional lives on
, the songs remain as infectious as ever. ~ Matt Collar