Following in the recent rock-meets-pop footsteps of Slothrust’s subversive and unexpected 2023 rework of Ginuwine’s sleazy soaker “Pony,” Shybaby spills their guts on a rambunctiously inventive interpretation of Olivia Rodrigo’s “bad idea right?,” boiling down the sugar-coated hook-up anthem into an elemental explosion of lustfully unhinged mania and fatalistic hedonism.
Uncanny in her ability to resonate with a generation on the cusp of developing beyond young adults into a formidable force destined to reshape the cultural landscape in their own image, Olivia Rodrigo’s impact is arguably on the same level as the meteoric collision that killed off the dinosaurs. In an industry dominated by over-produced, over-inflated factory produced stars, Rodrigo’s presence as an almost-normie gives her particular brand of punkish pop a extraordinary edge in achieving critical mass appeal. With over 307-million streams on Spotify alone, “bad idea right?” is a bonafide superhit that rolls and bops with magnetic appeal but willfully avoids addressing the darker aspects of the subject matter. This, perhaps, is what makes the track so relatable to a wide audience and, by proxy, so malleable in the hands of another artist.
Much like Rodrigo, Shybaby has muscled their way to the epicenter of the Brooklyn underground by unabashedly embracing authentic songwriting. But while Rodrigo writes for a universally diverse fanbase, Shybaby’s perspective is firmly anchored to a singular perspective that radiates outwards with the unstoppable fury of a mile-high tsunami breaking upon immovable cliffs. One can stand in opposition to the primordial deluge and be pummeled into oblivion, or ride the wild surf with Shybaby on a one-way ticket to momentary nirvana.
Opening on a rubberband bassline and the hint of a melodic flourish appropriately borrowed from The Stooges sexy slow-burner “Penetration,” Shybaby’s “bad idea right?” is forged in a white-hot crucible of late-night, chemically altered bad decision making. Quickly incinerating nearly any resemblance to the track’s original pop provenance, Shybaby seamlessly segues between beautiful harmonies and rapid fire verses unleashed with the furious howl of a soul possessed by uncontrollable impulses raging internally against the crumbling walls of rationality. Like a runaway boulder gathering downhill momentum, the track hurtles forward at a dangerously thrilling pace, layering vocal tracks like a multitude of inner monologues battling for supremacy amidst a blizzard of icy guitars and hyperventilating percussion that pounds with the nervous cadence of a heartbeat fit to burst. By the time the track reaches the precipice of no return, Shybaby’s declaration of intent is rendered with a throat-lacerating scream, wild eyes glistening at the prospect of plunging once more into the breach of ill-advised ecstasy, willingly surrendering to a turbulent dalliance with transient carnal bliss, any and all consequences be damned – “fuck it, it’s fine!”
Shybaby is set to release their debut LP Is This Intimate in early 2024. Stream “bad idea right?” on Spotify and follow Shybaby on Instagram.
