It is said that simplicity is the greatest sophistication. This is true not just for music, but to any form of art. Xxxtentacion's "Skin" keeps things basic, but in a way that isn't always for the better.
There's a charm to tracks that are barebones when done right - acoustic ballads are a great example - but Skin is not that type of song. Instead, repeated listens to the ambient synth layers that make up the instrumentals give off a feeling of monotony, and the droning rhythm of the rap vocals do not exactly help.
The song's weaknesses are remedied to some extent by its strengths, though. The slurred, slow-paced rapping of Xxxtentacion paints a picture of someone who feels genuinely dejected, desperate and clinging by the end of their rope. This feeling is amplified by the song's poignant lyrics. Lines like "I'll cut my wrist till' my heartbeat is silent" and "shots in her body till' she is a stump" have the power to make you stop in your tracks for their heavy emotional impact, although the explicit, gory theme is not for everyone. Even if "Skin" is not for the faint of heart, the song will still make the heart beat faster for some hip hop junkies out there.
It is said that simplicity is the greatest sophistication. This is true not just for music, but to any form of art. Xxxtentacion's "Skin" keeps things basic, but in a way that isn't always for the better.
There's a charm to tracks that are barebones when done right - acoustic ballads are a great example - but Skin is not that type of song. Instead, repeated listens to the ambient synth layers that make up the instrumentals give off a feeling of monotony, and the droning rhythm of the rap vocals do not exactly help.
The song's weaknesses are remedied to some extent by its strengths, though. The slurred, slow-paced rapping of Xxxtentacion paints a picture of someone who feels genuinely dejected, desperate and clinging by the end of their rope. This feeling is amplified by the song's poignant lyrics. Lines like "I'll cut my wrist till' my heartbeat is silent" and "shots in her body till' she is a stump" have the power to make you stop in your tracks for their heavy emotional impact, although the explicit, gory theme is not for everyone. Even if "Skin" is not for the faint of heart, the song will still make the heart beat faster for some hip hop junkies out there.