There’s a specific pocket in rap where the sonically restless build worlds of their own. Atlanta’s Bktherula has been running hers with a dystopian grip, cultivating a chaotic, high-octane sound that makes her stand out. From 2020’s ‘Love Santana’ to her most recent ‘LVL5’ two-part series, her five mixtapes aligned her with the likes of Rico Nasty, BbyMutha, Gangsta Boo – all the women who backed up their bark with biting, unapologetic brute – in supplying trap’s fringes with riotous anthems that feel more punk than rap.
On her newest project, ‘Lucy’, though, she pares back her usual mayhem and edges toward introspection for what feels like her debut album. Influenced by Saint Lucia (the saint of light) and the Scarlett Johansson film of the same name, she’s a step closer to unlocking her full potential – and urges us to do so, too – drawing something spiritual from the static.
Where many trap rappers collapse into self-referential bars and empty flexes, Bk leans into absurdity with full conviction – the kind that makes nonsense feel like its own kind of truth. On ‘Dumb Sh!t’, her signature left-field swagger is artful – a jam-packed glitchy surge of unserious energy. On ‘Adult Swim’ and ‘Bleht’ (named after her signature ad-lib), she amps up her off-kilter style with rapid-fire brags and bars, riffing on “throwing up,” “getting bucks,” and “going dumb lit”.
Bk also challenges herself to be serious with ‘Lucy’. There are always nuggets of raw, unfiltered depth sandwiched between her fiery machismo. ‘Bleht’ sees the 23-year-old’s non-conforming nature shine: “You cannot copy the game, alright?… I’m just expressing myself, and it came out bad.” But, when she eases up on the heavy 808s and lets the guitars and synths breathe, she unlocks another level: a version of herself driven less by bravado and more by clarity.
On ‘Loves*xdreams’, Bktherula is inspired by the hazy lushness of A$AP Rocky’s ‘Live.Love.A$AP’ mixtape to create her own hedonistic, psychedelic sound that’s as brash as it is earnest about love in that aloof, jovial Gen-Z digital rapper way. But highlights ‘Abstract’ and ‘Euphoria’ lean into her soft, velvety singing voice and prove that when she drops the vibes-only approach and pushes her pen, songwriting is her real superpower.
Both tracks are thoughtful odes to love, with ‘Euphoria’ shining brightest: Joey Bada$$’s flawless technique and KayCyy Pluto’s quiet coyness support Bk’s most poetic moment yet: “Feel just like you should / Sometimes we’re all just misunderstood.” A gentle bass hums beneath crashing guitars and cymbals, conjuring a dreamy indie-pop weariness that mirrors love in limbo when the “stars start to align.” It’s a shift from her lustful chaos to something softer and more bittersweet – and it’s those quiet moments of honesty that elevate the project from chaotic fun to something with depth.
After track nine, ‘Lucy’ starts to blur. Push past the fatigue, though, and there are some gems: ‘OCB’ is a slick pop-trap cut Bk could make in her sleep, and the Hemlocke Springs-sampling ‘Plan B’ offers a tender, nuanced take on love sneaking up on you. But much of the second half bleeds together, drifting by in a mind-numbing, washed-out lull that dulls the album’s initial spark.
For someone who usually thrives in chaos, Bktherula’s flashes of raw emotion and poetic tenderness are promising, proof she can craft magnetic moments beyond the moshpit. Still, as repetition sets in and energy fades, her evolution feels unfinished. So let’s call ‘Lucy’ what it is: a foreshadowing. She hasn’t fully found the light she’s chasing – but when she does, it’ll be blinding.
