Despite being released just a day ago, Either Hated or Ignored feels almost like a time capsule, a glimpse into the minds of $crim and Ruby before their project, $uicideboy$, exploded with popularity. Maybe that’s because it is, with the track allegedly being meant to release with their early 2016 release ‘Dark Side of the Clouds’; just three months early the $uicideboy$ had appeared on Adam Grandmaison podcast, explaining how at that point they were still working nine till five regular jobs.

Listeners can feel this more grounded nature in both the lyrics and the tone of the single, with $crim defensively celebrating the pair’s new found success in the first verse, and Ruby referencing the simplistic nature of their 2015 hit ‘Low Key’. Mixed in with these celebratory, self reflective elements is the typical references to misery, obscure drugs and motifs found in classic horror literature, such as vultures and addiction that we’ve came to expect. Production and beat creation is credited to Budd Dwyer, the name of the now deceased republican politician that $crim has been known to borrow as one of his many aliases. It’s woozy and the lighter sample drifts around the gravelly vocals and trap drums, and it’s very reminiscent of the tent scene soundtrack from M*A*S*H. Whether it’s a stylistic choice or simply poor mixing, the duos flows are almost overpowered by the beat, but it’s a small flaw that will largely be unnoticed by most listeners.

To very little surprise, Either Hated or Ignored is a very typical $uicideboy$ song, which is meant in the best way possible. It’s a niche sound that the duo have perfected, and this second single of 2018 is a demonstration of that talent. If you didn’t enjoy any other $uicideboy$ releases, this song will do nothing to change your mind, but it will be a guaranteed hit for fans of the pair and horrorcore genre alike.