LA-based artist Téo Amo has just released his new single, “THE BADDEST,” showcasing his new growth as a producer and artist.
A guitar melody starts the song before a fuzzy synth kicks in and Téo Amo sets the tone of his new music with inspiration from electro pop, house and bachata. While this fusion has been done many times before, Téo Amo is able to avoid sounding tacky and unoriginal. He keeps his samples to a minimum and focuses on making sure that his instrumentation flows and blends well, creating a well-mixed song.
The soundscape is full without sounding cramped. The bass supports the drum machine, ensuring that the crunchy sampled percussion isn’t too sharp and that the kick drum has a bit more weight within the mix. Téo Amo doesn’t use many synths, just keeping a fuzzy wave synth progression throughout the song. To stop the synth from becoming boring, a filter is automated over it, giving some subtle variations as the song phases change.
The biggest change from Téo Amo’s earlier work is the lyrics. Listening to the song, it is clear that Téo Amo has actively taken the time to improve on his songwriting and “THE BADDEST” lyrics have overall a better structure and direction than his earlier work. The second verse’s “nowadays, I’ll reminisce about you / only if you really want me to,” show a relationship reliant on self-destruction and turmoil. The themes and subject of the song don’t once change, and while he isn’t a self-proclaimed lyrical master, Téo Amo shows that he knows how to write lyrics that complement his musical style and taste.
Overall, “THE BADDEST” shows promise for Téo Amo’s upcoming work and highlights a shift to a more developed artistry.
