Yeah, this 4batz EP is not good. Man, what do I even say about this thing? It's the project that if you know, you know, you don't, you don't. And chances are, if you're aware, it's only through the viral visuals and videos that have come along with the breakout singles that dropped out of nowhere in advance of this thing.

And while I appreciate at a baseline what tracks like "act ii: date @ 8" are doing or trying to do with the eerie, stripped back, alternative, skeletal R&B production, the very nasally, boyish lead vocals that are odd and unbecoming of a dude like 4batz who's looking a little shady, singing in the sheisty, and the story that he's telling on the track, which honestly, on some level, is a little gross and entitled in terms of what one thinks they might deserve after taking a girl out and spoiling her a little bit on a date. That much about the track, I don't really like. But again, I get it. It's a vibe. It's a story. There's something to it. But I think the lesson in this EP is the importance of not rushing a project to market just because you have a hit viral track and video, and a bigger artist chomping at the bit to collaborate with you in order to get a little bit of shine and exposure off of your random viral clout (looking at you, Drake; looking at you, Kanye West). Because while there is an appeal to this track, it's a trick. It's clear that in getting the rest of this EP together, 4batz did not have any other tricks prepared, as there are tracks on this thing that just feel like a boring, obnoxious extension of "date @ 8".

There are other tracks that infer that there's a series of acts going on. In reality, when you look at the nitty-gritty of all of it, it's not really that well connected. There are other cuts where I think 4batz is wearing his influences on his sleeve in a way that's a little unflattering, as there are at least a few tracks on this thing that just feel like awful The Weeknd rip offs. For the most part, the instrumentals and vocals across the entire thing are too one-dimensional, boring, lifeless, washed out, bland, bland, bland, bland to be extending them out for this long. Again, this isn't even a full album or tape, it's just an EP. Look, on some level, I get it. I understand if you're a new and upcoming artist and you're still finding your sound and you're putting yourself out there, you never know which track you put together is going to be your big breakout moment. If you don't already have a sound prepared and a direction in mind, you could get caught with your pants down because you may not have much to offer audiences outside of your breakout single.

I feel like Ice Spice has very much found herself in this situation with "Munch". However, I think she's been a lot better and a lot more careful in terms of dropping more tracks, being choosy about what she's putting out there, who she's collaborating with, how her collaborations are reflecting upon her, whether or not they're actually adding to her brand and bringing more popularity to her camp, like in the case of the Pink Pantheress crossover that happened a while ago. In the case of 4batz, though, I don't really think Drake or Kanye added that much to his music or his ambiance. I don't really think the additional tracks on this EP bring all that much to "date @ 8". Now, because this has been rushed and put out there, whenever a bigger album or project does come down the pipe, that is going to have to go without "date @ 8" now as a single. He is going to have to sink or swim on some genuinely new material that is refreshing, that is interesting. From the sound of the rest of this EP, early on already, he seems to be having a hard time following that track up with something that is even half as interesting.

This thing is underwhelming, it's pointless, it's rushed, it is lacking in depth, it's lacking in sound, it's lacking in substance, it's lacking in everything. It's low-key obnoxious. Honestly, if you're looking for spacy R&B, there's about two million other superior options out there on the internet right now. So why you would listen to this instead, I don't know.

Yeah, this 4batz EP, it's not good.