SLAY SQUAD + A CONVERSATION ON VERSATILITY

It’s important for artists to “reinvent” themselves throughout their music career by being versatile.

Wait – Myra, what does it mean to be versatile in the realm of art?

Versatility is the ability to adapt to different functions; in terms of creativity, versatile is being open to explore different possibilities, out of your comfort zone. By becoming versatile, artists can showcase their musical talent to the world that they are not a “one trick pony” or a "one-hit wonder". Artists may showcase their versatility by delving into musical genres that are on the opposite side of their respective genres or by collaborations. Even if the result isn’t what I would enjoy, I wholesomely respect artists that go out of their comfort zone, even if the change alienates fans.

Image credit: Slay Squad’s Instagram

Slay Squad is a 6-member band originating from Southern California, where they coin their sound as “Ghetto metal”, combining metal and elements of hip-hop as their signature sound.

“X” is their latest song released on January 27, 2023, produced by Morgoth Beatz. During my first listen, I did not like the song. Metal is not a genre that I listen to. It can be too intense and the screams give me a headache. I made the decision within the first minute of the song that it was not the genre for me. However, up until minute 2:38 (that’s 1/3 of the song left lol) the sound became much more interesting as it transitioned into a listenable song to me. Starting the song at 2:38, it contained less screams and the beat was more hip-hop oriented combined with the flow of the verses. Through “X”, Slay Squad was able to mix musical genres that are on the opposite side of one another and make it listenable by appealing to listeners of both genres.

Image credit: Slay Squad’s Instagram

Listening to "X" gave me a memory that I thought I filed away in my brain.

During my adolescent years, I forced myself to like metal and screamo type music (think Metallica) to fit in with the crowd. Although metal is not my preferred musical genre, listening to this song was just a reminder that my taste in music has come a long way. As House of Wolf’s music plug, I must be open to explore new artists and genres to make sure the music I share isn’t redundant.

I was able to discover an artist whose music was new to me and after some reflection, I am confident that me and metal do not mix, but that’s okay! I was able to find elements in the song that I like and I would put this song in a Halloween playlist. You don’t have to necessarily like songs to be able to share them with others (although it helps). Maybe readers on HOW will enjoy this song :) and I hope it will lead you to make even more musical discoveries.

Happy Listening!

Listen to Slay Squad “X” below: