RYL0 Taps Slayyyter-producer AOBeats for Subversive 'Pop Princess'

Underground pop singer-songwriter and producer RYL0 is continuing her reign as one of the most exciting up-and-coming artists, maintaining her status as a pioneer for black pop musicians.

Last year, RYL0 grew her fervent community of fans - a collection of RYL0VES who are endeared to her indelible pop songwriting skills and diverse instrumental choices. 2023 saw RYL0 release two mixtapes (including pop extravaganza Last Resort project); open for hyperpop icons such as Ayesha Erotica, That Kid, and umru; collaborate with producers who have worked with the likes of Halsey, Rebecca Black, Rina Sawayama, PVRIS, Joji, and Chrissy Chalpecka; and work with up-and-coming pop artists such as HYRA

Now, RYL0 is revving towards her next release: a deluxe version of her Last Resort mixtape. This expanded project will pick up right where the standard release left off, delivering pop masterclasses filled to the brim with catchy, infectious hooks and immaculate production. As a result, RYL0 will be building off her impressive accomplishments with even more career-defining, boundary-pushing work - further establishing a space for black women in the underground pop space.

LIsteners got their first taste of the updated Last Resort release with the single “OO! AH!”,  a glitchy experimental pop song produced by Purity Ring-member Corin Roddick. Next was “RYL0VE Song,” a sweet, romantic track that is both an homage to a love interest and an ode to those who’ve supported her journey to pop stardom (the RYL0VES).

Now, RYL0 releases her the final single from this era, “Pop Princess” - an anthemic, explosive saga that sees the singer-songwriter playing around with the concept of fame and what it means to be a pop artist. Produced by hyperpop legend AOBeats (who has worked with Slayyyter, Chase Icon, Terror Jr, 24kGoldn, and many more), frequent HYRA-collaborator Mads Mason, and the mysterious lore nh, "Pop Princess" combines bombastic production with stadium-sized hooks to create an elegant facade - a colossal presentation that both embodies and satirizes the popstar artifice.

The track kicks off with big, beefy bass notes before RYL0 comes in with an emphatic declaration: “POP,” she reverberates throughout the mix before spelling out her name. The first verse then begins over rising claps: “Got a confession, I’m a fraud,” RYL0 sings, a bold, subversive introductory statement for a song ostensibly about the glamor of being a star.

She then continues to unveil her interior world, candidly expressing her insecurities and struggles with imposter syndrome - lyrical themes that contrast with the vibrant, confident instrumental. In the hook, the song’s central message comes into focus: “Pop princess, I'm like a damsel/In distress and I'm crying for help/ Anxious, insecure, overwhelmed/I keep on moving so you can't tell,” RYL0 belts over illuminescent synths, a reflection of an artist living the popstar lie in real time.

Then, in the jersey club-inflected bridge, she repeats a refrain from the chorus: “Cover up with lots of makeup/before I go out and play dress up,” she coos on a loop as the instrumental builds with anticipation, drilling into the listener the never-ending, constant act of performing pop stardom. The track then blasts into its final chorus - an infectious section of pure catharsis that fully absorbs you into RYL0's journey. 

“Pop Princess” releases on the heels of RYL0’s packed debut headlining show at Brooklyn’s Elsewhere venue, and ahead of the Last Resort deluxe, which will release in the coming months. 

Photo credit: Kaio Cesar