SONG REVIEW: SAKURA - Bubblegum Cowboy
Written by Jesse James Smith
Once again, coming from the land down under SAKURA is back with a throwback retro style track titled “Bubblegum Cowboy”. We have talked about SAKURA so much here and he is one of our favorite artists. So much so that he has a track on our latest ‘Pop Goes Hardcore’ comp (streaming now), so we won’t dive into his background. But this artist is a metalcore focused band that hits all of the key points of being a great band. Songs are catchy and melodic as well as heavy and versatile. But with this song, don’t let the name fool you, this one is for the OG crabcore/synthcore listeners and is pretty freakin’ good!
Wasting no time, the track opens up with a high energy, tight and jumpy riff that is full on Stand Up and Scream. Listening to the first few seconds really shows how much the energy has shifted within the scene and how we show that energy now versus back then. Immediately I’m sucked in and can’t wait to see where this goes. For as heavy as this gets,the chorus is as pop as pop can get. That was the formula, heavy verses mixed with pop hooks. The high singing chorus is an example of where the vibe and feel of the song is more infectious than the melody or lyrics. The dichotomy between the first minute is actually quite amusing but it really works. Through a couple twists and turns, SAKURA really does a great job into not solely boxing this song into a time period. As you move through the song you get a blend of modern writing styles and tricks that seamlessly blends into the song. One thing is for sure though, they did not leave you hanging on the breakdown. If you miss when a breakdown had panic chords, this will scratch the itch that’s been there for at least a decade.
As a fan of that era we call “Risecore”, this song is Godsent. It was beautifully done where it felt real and genuine instead of cringey. There is a revival of this style if you really look hard enough into some oof the underground scenes that are popping up around the world. The neon monster shirts, the skinny jeans and the jumpy riffs. We are so back, and SAKURA has now thrown their hats in the ring.