Sometimes, a new face starts appearing everywhere online. At first, you barely notice. Then suddenly, they are in interviews, on your friends’ Instagram stories and playing in the background of videos you never asked to watch. Slayyyter has become that artist for me. Her latest album, WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA, has been sitting at the centre of that growing attention. Though I may be late to the party — WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA came out in March — it seems that with this artist, showing up late is better than never showing up at all.
Though she’s gaining popularity now, Slayyyter isn’t new to the music scene. She originally started releasing music on Soundcloud, collaborating with artist Ayesha Erotica. She eventually released her debut album on all platforms in 2019, following with her sophomore album in 2023. Still, her latest album seems to resonate most with fans.
The album travels through genres, pulling from electronic, pop and rock. While the lyrics don’t often become explicitly vulnerable, they’re still thoughtful in their application; they can even be very funny at times. The album feels like an expression of hunger — to dance, feel passion and be successful. These themes are woven throughout the album.
The album begins with the track “DANCE” and, if you’re anything like me, you’ll recognize it from when it became a TikTok trend late this past spring. With a nearly 45-second intro to build to the popular part of the track, Slayyyter immediately demands your attention. The track is driven heavily by a dramatic and distorted synth bassline throughout, almost similar to the way bands like New Order had done it in the ‘80s. The synth and a chorus that consistently repeats “It doesn’t matter, let me dance” express a feeling of absolute freedom on a dark dance floor.
On songs like “BEAT UP CHANEL$” “YES GODDD” and, most notably, “CRANK” Slayyyter lets the anticipation build until satisfying the itch of each song’s implosion. The production piles on more and more layers, creating a sense that something bigger is always about to happen. When the beat finally drops, it feels overwhelming. In music, we often hope for songs to create the anticipation and release that you get continuously throughout this record.
It isn’t just the music that caused Slayyyter to gain so much traction from fans recently. The image she has curated for herself as an artist is what is still so compelling. Slayyyter carries with her an “all-American” kind of look as a blonde woman with blue eyes. During her Lollapalooza set, she came out wearing a cropped flannel shirt and mini cargo shorts with bait around her waist and a fishing rod slung over her shoulder. Yet, her lyrics contrast this image. Most notably on “CRANK”, she comedically remarks that she “get so gay off that tequila!” And later, in “$t. LOSER,” sings, “If kids are bumping my shit, that’s a recession indicator.” Her lyrics are funny and tongue-in-cheek.
While Slayyyter maintains these American aesthetics — particularly apparent in the “GAS STATION” music video — her artistry intentionally challenges what would typically be associated with these images, particularly as a bisexual woman with a widely queer fanbase.
Slayyyter’s appeal seems to come from that contradiction. She takes familiar American imagery and connects it with music that represents pure, unabashed liberty. It seems that after years on the scene as an “up-and-coming” artist, Slayyyter’s status in the pop world doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon.