Extended Play Review: But What the Hell do I Know Brings Rock Back

BY: JAEQWON SUAREZ / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

(Photo Credit: Genius)

Alemeda is a rising rock star that everyone should be listening to, especially when it comes to her newest EP, But What the Hell Do I Know.

With over 500,000 listeners monthly on Spotify, Alemeda’s voice and instrumentation has only elevated since her last EP, FK It, released in the previous year. As we still continue with the same themes of heartbreak and the death of friendships, Alemeda pours her heart out in 7 tracks, adding up to just 17 minutes.

We start the project off strong with Happy With You, as Alemeda uses her signature raspy voice to sing through her verses. Any fan of hers will notice that she does this a lot in her songs to achieve the rock aesthetic, but I appreciate how she plays with her voice and tests where it can go.

Happy With You crescendos from a guitar ballad to all-out rock, with screaming and loud drums that fill the air. This sets the tone that But What the Hell Do I Know will be more into the elements of rock than FK It was, which was more leaning towards country and pop rock.

I like the full dive into rock, and the song just adds on to this statement as it features another rising artist. Beat A B!itch Up featuring Doechii was one of the three singles she released before this project came out, and by far is still a favorite from her EP.

When the bridge drops to only strings, it then adds a crazy explosion of sound towards the end, giving into this feeling of anger. Doechii verse doesn’t feel out of place either, as she has also done some rock elements within her own song.

But as the song says, it will have you feeling all that pent-up anger, so let that all out! We get into a somber rock song that will have you rocking back and forth, Losing Myself.

This time around, she shows off a little bit more vocals compared to the previous songs. This has instantly become a favorite in my playlists because it's sad enough while still having a steady tempo that haunts the listener.

Another single, Chameleon, featuring Rachel Chinouriri is a great callback to another rock song by the Culture Club called Karma Chameleon, which is still a hit even today.

The rearrangement of the lyrics works for what both artists were trying to go for, and this was a cool way to reference the past in this modern take of the rockier sound Alemeda exudes in this track.

Rachel Chinouriri also thrives within Chameleon, and both vocals from each artist complement each other through the chorus to their own verses.

One of the last singles from the EP is another great pop-rock hit. 1-800-F**K-YOU has already become a repeat within my playlists because it’s so playful, from the title itself to even the lyricism she uses.

It gives off a major “do what you want, I don’t really care” anthem, which is always needed in this era where people will always have something to comment on when it comes to appearances and careers.

We then receive one of the shortest songs from the EP titled Stupid Little Bitch, to which we hear Alemeda become introspective for a moment. She recalls advice that her mom gave her, which unfortunately turned out to be true for her.

The chorus has her ridiculing herself for trusting someone not to turn around and stab her, a canon event that everyone has to go through at some point.

This leads right into I’m Over It, which appears to be Alemeda reminiscing about this friendship and how this other person refuses to answer the questions she poses in the pre-chorus:

“Where did it all go wrong?

We were supposed to go the distance

How did it fall apart?

I'm givin' up on tryna fix it”

Although a bittersweet message to end the EP on, sometimes the best thing you can do is close that door. Overall, But What the Hell Do I Know provides a rollercoaster of emotions in just the short amount of time Alemeda gives. 

This edgier project was a great follow-up to FK It, which appeared to be the route that Alemeda was taking while trying to find her sound this past year. I think the beginning of who Alemeda is is already clear in this project, and for anyone who hasn’t listened to FK It, I’d highly recommend that as well.