“WHO’S YOUR DADDY” By My New Mixtape

In a period when unpredictability feels like the norm, My New Mixtape, American producer and multidisciplinarian Jarrett Nicolay's work offers us a fresh single that seems fitting for the times. “Who’s Your Daddy” is a Popeye’s chicken ad that pops like Nicolay's “existential dread pop” but pulls more toward existential dread territory this time. The single is now accessible on all platforms: Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and the rest. “Who’s Your Daddy” is a track that gets stuck in your noggin, and it’s not because of superficial sticky-band appeal, but because it’s painfully accurate.

From the moment the opening chords play, “Who’s Your Daddy” creates an eerie sense of a dystopian society. Despite it being stripped down, the production is purposeful, as every hit and instrument adds to a growing feeling of anxiety throughout the song. Nicolay's singing floats underneath the instrumentation in a tone resembling resignation but sharp sarcasm, propelling within him caged questions that slice through some part of America, a certain demographic: “freedom-loving,” “Trump-supporting Christian,” and everyone who still dares cling to the ruins of dreams they were told. The questions, “Are you happy now? Are you better off?” are mendaciously sincere in their gloating simplicity.

My New Mixtape demonstrates an artist’s expression in its sonic form. The tracks are pulsating with far too catchy tunes while simultaneously dealing with incredibly dark themes. There is a peculiar grimness to My New Mixtape that acts like an anchor on the listener’s mind, with the brutally honest words. There resides a never-before-seen torment awaiting the listener’s soul through every note. While downward spiraling satirical disaster has somehow merged with modern-day existential doom, the world just emits a hollow sound without a break. Even though everything seems comforting on the surface, for the listener who dares to go deeper, there’s a heartbeat that feels too fast and too calm at the same time.

Jarrett Nicolay sets the bar high in “Who’s Your Daddy” by making everything with unrestrained chaotic clarity and in the absence of an oblivious satirical moral, a near-silent crowd. This satire transforms moral ambiguity into savage chaos while decorative sonics intertwine delicately. This is not a song meant to protest America’s lack of self-awareness; it holds the painfully fiery consequences instead of attempting to shelter a war-torn America. Everything is beautifully marinated as lyrics spell disaster while adding beat after beat, leaving the listener with nowhere to escape.

Perhaps you are in search of a musical masterpiece that mirrors the confusion and bizarre events of our world, but doesn't spiral into self-righteousness or despair. In that case, “Who's Your Daddy” certainly deserves your attention. Listen through Spotify, watch the clip on YouTube, Apple Music, or any other platform you prefer, but do not make the mistake of listening once. Nicolay's approach is intricately woven, and this release, My New Mixtape, has claimed the spot of the voice for both the disillusioned and wide awake, creating a song for the people, done for the ones tired of pretending everything is fine.

In the end, "Who's Your Daddy" offers no easy answers because none exist. And now you may call it a fearless, passionate examination of our society infused with bold, horrific beats that, like many of us, still needs it as of right now. Let’s be real, sometimes the most revolutionary thing to do is scold a set of logic-defying statements from My New Mixtape, and this is what makes the music so powerful.