midwxst
e3
GEFFEN
ABOVE THE CURRENT
It’s hard to figure out exactly when it happened, but at some point in the past few years, midwxst turned into a full-blown pop star. Granted, this definition of “pop star” comes with caveats—namely, the definition has become so twisted that what it previously meant no longer applies at all. But listening to the Indiana-raised artist’s new album e3, it’s hard to come away with an opinion that concludes he’s anything but a vanguard figure.
The album is out via Geffen Records, a deal that likely has to do with the rise of hyperpop in the post-COVID world, but on his major label debut midwxst proves himself to be worthy of far more than a big-three gamble. The hooks last long past the album’s run time, and the artist born Edgar Nathaniel Sarratt III is both a nimble and ambitious songwriter. This sounds less like a debut than a mid-career renaissance, thanks to the large amount of pre-debut releases midwxst floated across the internet over the past four years. On e3, midwxst is confident, heartbroken, and positively raging over some of the best pop-rap crossover beats you’ll ever hear.
The record was co-produced with the Denver-based singer Sophie Gray, and it’s a concept album of sorts telling the story of e3, a character narrated by midwxst pushing through moments of self-doubt and experiences of growth. Not much has been revealed about the backstory, but the passion with which midwxst tells this tale makes it a safe bet to assume that many of these songs come from personal experiences.
On “heartache blues,” Bon Iver–inspired Auto-Tune vocals set the stage for a soul-baring vocal performance from midwxst, who sounds despondent as he sings, “Heartache blues, living in a broken world with you.” On another standout, the alt-rap anthem “old me,” he deals with the perils of fame, recounting how his girl can’t get ahold of him as easily despite his best intentions (“She said e3 I miss the old you / I said it’s something you’ll get used to”). Sparse percussion and more effects-heavy vocals give the track a futuristic texture, creating a perfect landscape for his reckonings with fame and success.
On e3, midwxst searches for answers to solve all of his problems as fame, success, relationships, and growth all seem tangled together. It makes for an engrossing listen in which the artist grasps to find the reason for his work, a justification for the world he’s built. The album ends without any answers, but the potency in midwxst’s songwriting lies in his ability to excavate the truth and interrogate it in honest, thoughtful ways. The world of hyperpop stardom may not be all it’s cracked up to be, but midwxst is still trying to find a way to celebrate all of the great achievements he’s earned.
