Genre-Defying Dominic Fike Releases Debut Album: ‘What Could Possibly Go Wrong’

“Toeing the line between experimentalism and consistency, Fike walks the line nicely providing an album that is undoubtedly his own.”

Dominic Fike has been slowly gaining recognition among the music community after his debut EP, ‘Don’t Forget About Me, Demos’ was released on Soundcloud. With references with names such as Billie Eilish, who said he is the “baddest kid [she’s] ever met in her life” to BROCKHAMPTON it’s no surprise that Fike’s debut album was one that was highly anticipated. Titled What Could Possibly Go Wrong, the aptly named album begs listeners to question the practice of labelling artists by genre, as Fike defies genre at every turn.

On the surface, each track is easy to love, but put together it sounds like an artist finding their footing in the industry. Fike dips his toes into every genre, from the hard guitars on the opening track “Come Here” to the R&B influences on “Vampire.” Pop influences can also be heard on songs like “Chicken Tenders.” At first this can be disorienting, moving around the musical spectrum so suddenly. Only three tracks break the 3-minute mark, so Fike moves quickly between songs to cover everything he wants to.

Toeing the line between experimentalism and consistency, Fike walks the line nicely providing an album that is undoubtedly his own. Lyrics tackle subjects such as the price of fame (“Cancel Me”), enjoying luxury with a lover (“Chicken Tenders”) and staying true to oneself even while being thrust in the public eye (“Florida”). Lines like “Don’t take that shit too serious” highlight overall themes and it’s clear to see that Fike takes his own advice on the album.

A highlight is the hazy “Politics & Violence,” which opens up with a string arrangement before flowing into the rest of the dreamlike production. About 2 minutes into the song, the dreamlike quality fades away into a rap for the last minute of the song. “Politics & Violence” demonstrates how easy it is for Fike to switch between genres while still maintaining the overall aesthetic of the album and sound. While this is not one of my personal favorite albums, Fike himself describes it best when he told NME that “it blends, it’s weird and it’s all different types of shit. But it works.”

STREAM WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG HERE