Destroy Lonely 'If Looks Could Kill' Isn't Worth The Hour & A Half

As one of only two other artists (Ken Carson and Homixide Gang) signed to Playboi Carti’s Opium label, Destroy Lonely exists in a very specific realm within the Hip Hop world. With Carti as both the label boss and the inspiration for the artists signed under him who attempt to create similar-sounding music, Destroy Lonely is able to be successful by following the blueprint already laid out for him. Without bringing any groundbreaking characteristics to the table, he’s still able to shine due to his cult-like fanbase who continue to connect with his music on a spiritual level, and knack for sticky, hard rock-backed hooks. However, his debut studio album If Looks Could Kill, often relies too heavily on the interesting sonics and dark production that quickly gets old. If Looks Could Kill proves that the space in which he exists may become stagnant if it doesn’t begin to take the risks of its originator.

Although filled with wonderfully-layered, atmospheric production, If Looks Could Kill is a monstrously ambitious project (in scope, not sound), clocking in at 26 tracks and nearly an hour and a half. At times, like he does on “by the pound,” Lonely switches up his cadence and flows within the same song in an effort to incorporate some variance to the album. But the result is ultimately him not being as successful at bending his voice in alien-like ways compared to greats like Young Thug, Playboi Carti, or to a lesser prestige, Yeat. Despite some effort it’s not enough to save the album from sounding stale.

The Production carries the album, but even that can get tedious. The album gets flooded with ambient synthesizers and cheesy, one note guitars, like on “right now,” where they sound like a 13-year-old playing around in GarageBand, trying to imitate the instrumental from that awful Post Malone collaboration. The beat of “brazy girls” features some twinkling ‘80s-like synths, a welcomed switch-up from the monotony. It’s like walking around aimlessly in the pitch dark, but seeing a shooting star pass above you for just a brief second.

The sonically-mesmerizing world that Lonely builds through his production choices largely outshine his vocal performances. When he pridefully champions himself as a firestarter on “new new,” exclaiming: “everything I do super new, and I don’t even try / With the clothes I threw on today, I think that I can fly,” it encapsulates the aura of Destroy Lonely and his music: He lacks the ability to be self-aware enough to see the irony, yet doesn’t seem to care enough to expand upon his sound. There are certainly a fair share of cringey lyrics and bars that wouldn’t be able to stick due to his simplistic approach, never trying to be anything he’s not or trying to do too much with his voice. Although If Looks Could Kill showcases that he’s embracing his spot in Hip Hop, he doesn’t seem to possess a desire to reinvent the wheel he clearly believes he’s been doing.

Destroy Lonely has certainly never been known as a lyrical emcee, mostly relying on hypnotic melodies and clever one-liners to get by. It’s worked for him through his career thus far, but the subject matter and even his delivery is much too similar throughout the album. His quirky flexes of designer clothes grows less imaginative track after track (we get it, you like Rick Owens).

Sometimes Lonely throws a curveball in the empty boasts with glimpses of introspection. Both “which way” and “moment of silence,” feature some dead-eyed lament about his life choices. On the latter track, he raps: “I only think about money and drugs, something wrong with me / And I don’t even eat until I sip promethazine.” Backed by the melancholic guitar riff and stuttering hi-hats, the dread filled confession sounds eerie when juxtaposed against the flexing and braggadocio. The daunting feeling provoked from the track provides a needed sense of humanity behind the artist. At his most relatable, Lonely sounds like a desolate human being actively working through his life problems and thoughts in real-time while alone in a forest on a soul-searching trip. It brings to mind the aura of Travis Scott’s “Astrothunder,” where the existential confusion is felt more than expressed.

But there’s not enough of these ideas, or many diverse ideas to begin with to get by as even a short LP, let alone a sprawling opus that couldn’t be finished on one train ride. And while there’s some glimpses of greatness on If Looks Could Kill–like the hungry, energetic performance on highlight “chris paul”–they get buried in languid excess. There’s a complete lack of awareness concerning the importance of the art opposed to the value he places upon it. He flashes potential as an adept world-builder, but the dark, sometimes psychedelic instrumentals beside him that typically contrast with his brighter melodies are much more impactful than his empty crooning and boastful realizations.