Florida: the home of octogenarian MAGA fanatics, man-eating alligators, and one of the most exciting burgeoning electronic scenes in the world.
Leading this charge is Miami-based duo B0YG1RL, a Black trans project that’s creating a new wave of dance music, blending their full-bodied electronic madness with sounds from up and down America. Caribbean bouyon plays alongside reggaeton, baile funk, hyperpop and good old-fashioned hardstyle to create a sound that is new and exciting while still feeling like home to many across the globe. This year, through projects like the excellent NOVAGANG collaboration EXIT 2B, the duo have seen an explosion in popularity, leading to performances alongside the likes of underscores and Six Sex. And now at the crest of this wave comes their self-titled debut album.
Even with all of the mind-blowing alchemy happening on the production side of this record, the vocals of June Vinette, and the words he’s saying (written by both himself and the duo’s other half Angela Rio), are what leave their mark. Singing in Haitian Creole, Vinette pierces through the all-encompassing electronica with brash yells and shrill tones that, because of the sheer volume of sound around her, manage to avoid being off-putting. Instead they place her atop the chaos, pulling the reins of the screeching synths and pounding bass as he drives them where they need to go. And with this album’s apocalyptic themes, the coarse urgency is warranted.
B0YG1RL exists in a world on the brink of collapse. The lead single “MOND LAN FINI” (roughly translated to “the world is ending”), is hopeless and pessimistic. Vinette sings “Pa gen anyen ki enpòtan/Mond lan fini/Nou pa gen chance/Nap wè ankon/Nou te genten fin mouri” (“Nothing matters. The world is ending. We have no chance. We'll see how we end up dead”). A sentiment which is echoed on the album’s opening track “REALITY”. Over thick buzzing synths and world-shaking percussion he repeats the phrases “Pagen lòt chwa fom rete” (“No other choice remains”), “Kriye epi rele”, (“Cry and shout”) and “Ou touye youn ou touye tout” (“You kill one you kill all”). It’s a cry out from a world that is eating itself alive, unable to fight back against it.
But despite the apparent hopelessness that comes with the inevitable collapse of everything we know, the prevailing attitude on B0YG1RL is one of optimism. In a world that is as far gone as ours, perhaps the only path towards a brighter tomorrow is to burn it all down and start again. On “HARDCORE QUESTION” Vinette sings “Nou soti nan menm kote a/Nou te deja bien fè sa” (“We come from the same place, we've already done this well”), and “There’s no harm, run it back again”. B0YG1RL see the end of the world as an opportunity for change. They carve a path through the rubble and invite you to come with them.
The new world that the duo envisions on this record reflects them: transcultural and transgender. Each track on the album touches a different corner of the globe, recognising and uplifting communities who in our current world face a daily fight for survival. The aforementioned “HARDCORE QUESTION” boasts two guest producers: prblm, a Haitian-American artist and founder of NOVAGANG, as well as Tanzanian artist DJ Travella (who has another track on the record named after him), leading to a blend of Bouyon and Singeli that’s pure heartracing adrenaline. To contrast, the project’s calmest moment is “FOLLOW ME” (also featuring production from prblm), a dreamy piece of Colombian Cumbia that provides a spot of (relative) tranquility among the noise. “power off” is another highlight, bringing on umru and Heartgaze to produce what is essentially a straight hyperpop track, right up to the pitch-shifted vocals. And these are just the tip of the iceberg. With a feature from rising Chinese rapper jackzebra on “TV” and Vinette’s distinctly Devi McCallion flow on the closing track “angel”, B0YG1RL extends a hand to the underground, the oppressed and the colonised, and offers them a spot on the dancefloor.
The new generation is here. And despite being worn-down, beaten-up and wrung-out, they refuse to back down. As the world increasingly caves in on itself, they find strength and joy among each other, and when the dust settles they will be what remains. Tomorrow the hard work of rebuilding begins, but for tonight let’s just dance as everything burns.
Words by Jim Kretschmer