Concert Review: Brakence Is The Internet In NYC

For awhile, Brakence has been defined as “next up;” emanating the strange, inevitable hypocrisy of youthful rebellion. For instance, having a song of his go viral because it sings to the pressures and annoyances of wanting to and trying to go viral. More than ever, being revolutionary and original can feel like a commodified, common process otherwise known as branding. Even being “anti-establishment” is a sold aesthetic, and at MHOW, the specialness of Brakence was that he embodied a generation that does not feel special.

The 60s had hippies. The 70s has rockstars and revolutionaries. The 80s had The Breakfast club, and even the 90s had Friends. Everything about Gen Z, music, style, and even catch phrases feels plucked from a Brooklyn thrift shop. Born from the internet, it is as if we are a hodgepodge of so many places and time-frames prior. We can quote Legally Blonde as if it was a recent release, but the closest we have gotten to an actual movie theater is watching Nicole Kidman become a creepy, gay icon via an AMC ad. Okay, I digress, but I setup this whole explanation because it is kind of why people are addicted to Brakence.

Doja Cat. Lil Nas X. November Ultra. These are artists that, very much like Brakence, understand how to make the online world the sonic soundscape for their trending songs and 20 second viral TikToks. What fascinated me about his show is that I felt like he understood what makes a song a social media hit, and your presence a followed persona. His every movement, even in stillness and quiet, felt like a clip from my feed, and he was just being himself, which is why I am even more confused on WHAT THE HELL DOES IT TAKE TO GO VIRAL.

When you think of actors and singers of old, they were curated by some supposed, shadow illuminati, but, now, WE are the curators of pop culture, which means any video of yours can make you “chosen” to embody “us” even if we are not sure what that means. Brakence dissects that existential truth with a voice that is surprisingly rich, like straight from a cocoa tree, and serves a show that really felt like an open forum for Gen Z and a live-action promotion for winter beanies,  pacifico, and Hyperpop depression . It is truly brilliant. For More Info Click Here.