New wave up-and-comer Candypaint’s long-awaited album Everythang Teal is finally here – fully delivering on many of the promises he made following his popular 2020 project, Everythang Purple.
Candypaint (also Lil Candy Paint) is an independent veteran of the underground – and his time in the game shows through his original, polished style and creative approach to a broad range of sounds on Everythang Teal.
Throughout the project, Candypaint finds all kinds of unassuming pockets for his distinct autotune delivery across an impressively wide selection of fresh, forward-thinking production – always dancing on the edge of rapping and singing as he flexes on haters, conveys serious sentiments and drops gems through the lens of a second wave Soundcloud legend with plenty left to give.
On Everythang Teal, Candy takes listeners through his full range of abilities, from the rap-first, unusually gritty “Trackhawk” to the noticeably catchy, rage-with-a-twist banger “Hardly Breathe,” featuring a strong showing from Summrs – another young OG of the new underground. On songs like “Met God,” Candy really finds a sweet spot when he combines all these elements into one song, rapping tightly packed, intricately melodic bars over busy rage-infused production.
On songs like “Intro” and “All Done,” he has this incredibly compelling approach that feels vaguely familiar but impossible to place your finger on — combining unique production with his signature affected vocal in tons of interesting ways. He even goes almost full R&B on “Hatethesehoes,” creating one of the best and most out-of-the-box songs on the project with some of the most in-the-box production fans have heard from Candy – built around a Lana Del Ray-type female vocal sample.
Another thing that separates Candy from the pack is his ability to slow things way down, and even get serious in a way that feels genuine, thoughtful and mature rather than contrived or angsty. Even though there are likely no actual instruments involved, Candy creates what are essentially acoustic ballads in songs like “Elevator to Heaven,” “Make It Ouuu” and “Goin Down (Thinkin Bout You)” – forgoing the normally busy production for stripped-down arrangements that highlight his eerie vocal and gentle tone.
While he has shown that he can do it all, some of his most popular songs are his most turned-down and introspective like “Sad Story” – a somber, drumless track and one of Candy’s biggest and perhaps most surprising previous hits. He followed it up on Everythang Teal, successfully revamping it for the second time with the dreamlike “Sad Story Part 3”— which feature calm drums and gentle strumming behind Candy’s hypnotic flow that sounds both up close and a million miles away.
Since he first popped in 2017, Candypaint has proven himself to be a compelling, independent-minded creative with a lot to add to the culture. From “Internet Thug” to Everythang Purple, to the pleasantly surprising viral hit, “22 (Remix)” featuring Bhad Bhabie (yes, that Bhad Bhabie), Candy operates in a world of his own, occupying a unique space where he is seasoned, respected and untethered – and still with plenty of untapped potential.
In a music landscape that rewards constant drops and sometimes rushed final products, Candypaint is refreshingly polished and measured. While he’s surely born out of the new underground Soundcloud wave, rather than borrow its sounds like many do, Candy builds on them to create a very distinct, much more broadly appealing style that can be applied in all kinds of interesting ways.
After knocking it out of the park with Everythang Teal, it will be hard to wait to see what he builds next.
Listen to Candypaint’s ‘Everythang Teal’ below
