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Photo: Aidan Cullen

In another world, glaive and ericdoa never would have met nor would the music they're making even be considered a possibility. It's a testament to the power of the internet and how it has not only shaped music but shaped our understanding of what music can be. All of this culminates in their joint EP, then i'll be happy.

glaive, who grew up in the mountains of North Carolina, and ercidoa, who grew up in a small town in Connecticut, are two artists at the forefront of hyperpop, a genre defined by its abrasive, reckless, and forward-thinking approach to pop. Hyperpop itself is a patchwork genre with roots in everything from UK underground trendsetters PC Music to the somber and woozy stylings of emo-rap that took the world by storm a few days prior. It's the perfect foundation for two artists in the midst of coming-of-age, who have spent the better part of their budding music careers trading ideas and inspirations with an unabashed passion.

"then i'll be happy was made over the last year and was recorded in everything from a studio to a tiny Airbnb bedroom. I'm lucky to have found such a great collaborator and friend in Eric and love what we made together," shares glaive. Eric adds, "The process of making this project was great because I got to experience new places and new people. I got to grow up alongside somebody who is also growing up, who is also my best friend. Ash and I are going up this year and I'm glad we have each other to lean on during this crazy time for both of us."

then i'll be happy will likely fall into the popular lexicon that is "hyperpop," but its eight tracks see ericdoa and glaive experimenting with a host of adventurous, wide-ranging sonic textures that defy simple classification. And while fans of the duo's trademark racing BPM pleas to love, be loved, to hate, and be hated need to look no further than tracks like "mental anguish" and the previously-released "cloak n dagger" and "fuck this town," then i'll be happy brilliantly avoids the pitfalls of being hailed as genre leaders. "heathers" falls more in line with the driving, pixelated soundscape that defines digicore, while a track like "pretending," with its iridescent, disco-inspired groove marks a noted sonic departure for the duo.

On their first, and likely not last, joint project glaive and ericdoa cement their place not just in the world of hyperpop but music at large. Infectious as it is emotionally raw and vulnerable, then I'll be happy demands every ounce of your attention.

Listen to then i'll be happy below: