100% ericdoa: hyperpop’s subversive leading man
The elusive artist on Prince, overthinking, his daily routine and his compulsive new single back n forth, which is out today.
Music
Words: Jade Wickes
ericdoa (pronounced dee-oh-ay), both student and sensation of the Spotify-coined, boundary-pushing hyperpop genre, releases his brand new, compulsive single back n forth today. His inaugural album, COA — whose cover art was shot in a BDSM dungeon — only came out last year, but the 18-year-old has been kicking around on the internet for quite some time, distinguishing himself via signature amorphous tracks often laden with satisfying glitches and distorted vocals.
Last January saw the release of cloak n dagger, a tune infused with screaming teenage angst made with frequent collaborator, friend and fellow hyperpop sensation glaive: So fuck you, I hope you rot in Hell/I know you never cared, but “I’m still doing well/I got a lotta stories now that I’ll never tell/And I hope you never see the light of day in a cell” — these are the kind of raw lyrics that cement ericdoa’s work as a cathartic endeavour with a tongue-in-cheek edge. Often playful, sometimes seething, either way, he’s always in on the joke.
Exploring the relationship between sex and mental health is key to ericdoa’s music, which is largely inspired by hardcore hip-hop and artists like Lil Peep, who galvanised an entire generation of young artists to make music from their bedrooms, with whatever software was readily available to them. In ericdoa’s case, that happened to be a Guitar Hero USB mic — which he used to make his first song, aged 14. He’s come a long way since then, and if you’re craving more, check out his 100% profile below.
10%: Where were you born, where were you raised and where are you now based?
Tri-state area, New England and I am now based in Atlanta.
20%: What kind of emotions and experiences influence your work?
Lots of travelling and hardships, being busy and also going through it. Music has always been therapeutic for me, so being able to release is a saving grace.
30%: You rule the world for a day. What went down?
I’d open every zoo and let those motherfuckers roam free.
40%: If you could travel back in time to see an iconic music act perform, who would it be, and in what era of their career?
Prince after Purple Rain came out. You know those concerts were T’d up.
50%: What’s a bad habit you wish you could kick?
Overthinking.
60%: What can you tell us about your next project?
Everything that we’ve experienced in the past year and a half is perfectly wrapped in a bow for the listener and I can’t wait for everyone to hear.
70%: Break down your typical day at work…
Wake up mid-afternoon, get DoorDash, make music with the guys over Discord or in real life and then lay in my bed for the rest of the day.
80%: When did you find your confidence as an artist?
After realising that my parents couldn’t care less about me scream-singing from my bedroom.
90%: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Don’t worry about things you can’t change.
100%: What can artists do to help save the world?
Focus on creating instead of becoming. I think people worry about being someone else instead of just being themselves.
