Tierra Whack’s ‘Whack World’ is utterly satisfying

The best 15 minutes you’ll spend this year

The cover of Whack World boasts what looks likes the carnival claw game, just with Tierra Whack’s own personal twists and symbolism. It’s colorful and telling; as is the Philadelphia artist’s music. Under the claw machine the cover reads: “A Visual and Auditory Project By Tierra Whack.” Under that: “15Min/900Sec.” What’s so special about the album’s runtime? Whack World is built up of exactly 15 songs. This means just one minute per song. Tierra takes simplicity to an entirely different level, while still making a project that comes off grand and fulfilling.

In a time where Kanye West has tried to trim down albums to seven songs and work his hand at doing more with less, Tierra Whack does it in a way that is not only more difficult, but also executed with much more finesse. In a way you can look at Whack World as being one giant song, just with 15 chapters. Accompanied with the audio is a stunning short film that really helps emphasize just how smooth each chapter rolls into the next. It’s not just a lot of mini music videos rolled into one, either. Each scene switch is a puzzle piece helping form Tierra’s mind and vision. It all fits together to become one whole. While individually each song is great, Whack World is something that no matter how hard you try, you can’t just listen to one song. You want the whole apple — not just one bite.

One minute isn’t a lot of time to get something meaningful across — or so you might think — but Tierra Whack makes each second count. “Dog Cemetery” is an ode to one who is lost, whether it be an animal or human companion, and it strikes you right in the core. Prior to that she turns “4 Wings,” a song based around food, into a personal deep dive of Tierra’s own feelings that is bursting with powerful symbolism. In just 60 seconds she’s able to hit many different chords of emotion, and it’s hard to not find yourself biting in to every line and hook. Tierra also has enough time to show off her innate ability to rap as she takes on numerous flows and styles throughout the project. She tackles R&B, trap, and even some country on the ever enjoyable “F**k Off.” Not only is Whack World extremely fun and playful, but it’s still able to leave a strong mark on the listener. It goes from making you laugh, to making you want to cry, to uplifting you right out of your shoes. This type of balancing act is rarely walked territory. Creatively, it’s just hard to pull off. Which is what makes Whack World so special; It’s a story thats contents might be packaged a little bit differently, but one that gives us the perfect amount of what we need to hear.

In life our minds seem to travel out to these worlds and rabbit holes that seem so unreachable and imaginative. They can become artistic marvels when powered by the right person. Which is why when they can take an actual form, it’s often times breathtaking. Tierra Whack falls directly into that category, finding herself as the main character piloting her very own world. We’re just lucky enough to get a peek inside.