Scene Queen has established herself on the internet as her songs “Pink Rover” and “Pink Panther” have found fame as popular sounds on TikTok. Now, Scene Queen has dropped another extended play (EP) called “BIMBOCORE, VOL. 2” on Nov. 10. It includes seven tracks that make you want to have fun screaming along that also interweaves commentary on current events.
The EP begins with the song “Pink Whitney,” a catchy song that influences listeners to air guitar along. I couldn’t help but find myself mouthing along to the intermittent “bang bang da bang bang da boom.” This is a song I could imagine myself listening to as I put my makeup on in order to get that extra boost of confidence for my day.
Following “Pink Whitney” is the raunchier track “Pink G-String.” This song is filled with R-rated lyrics, most of them absolutely hysterical. I found myself laughing throughout the song. My favorite line was, “Twerkle pit: twerk in the circle pit.” I hope this soon rises as a common party anthem.
If you can’t stop laughing from “Pink G-String,” the next track “Pink Cocaine” is sure to help. This song takes a dark turn as she sings about drug addiction. She emphasizes the loneliness of drug abuse, at one point singing, “The weekdays get no love / When you’re the only one who can’t sober up.” This song takes quite a drastic turn from the beginning of the album as it makes you feel sorry listening to its lament.
Next in line is “Pink Barbie Bandaid,” which is my favorite song. She packed this song with hard-hitting lyrics. I felt chills as I listened to her scream about the lack of control women have over their bodies. She further emphasizes her point with a pairing of lines I am still smiling about, “I hope your mistress is pro-life / I hope your sugar baby’s knocked up.” I could feel her anger through this song, and she unleashed it all by the end as she screamed out against the oppressors.
After her rage in “Pink Barbie Bandaid” is her song “The Rapture (but it’s Pink).” I liked the sound of this song, especially during the main chorus lines. She makes a slight comment in this song about artists who don’t deserve the fame they have as she sings, “Second record? Or a laugh track / The label called, ‘you can’t recoup that.’” She’s going for people’s throats, and I can imagine her singing this with a big grin on her face.
Then, a familiar favorite “Barbie & Ken” follows. She released this song before the EP dropped, and fans loved the collaboration with Set It Off. I find this song interesting as they twist the “perfect” relationship between Barbie and Ken. They have a childish tone as they sing, “Ken and Barbie sitting in a tree / K-I-L-L-I-N-G / Barbie and Ken in a pink dream house / Two go in, only one comes out.” Their voices harmonize perfectly for this song and the image of the Mattel superstars threatening each other with deadly violence is quite the statement on what can lurk beneath a “perfect” relationship.
Finally, the EP ends with the song “Pink Hotel.” This was my least favorite song. For the last track, I was expecting a song that either rocked my earbuds with guitars and screams, or a song with significant lyrics that allowed Scene Queen to rage some more. However, we are met with a song that bounces around a lot in a clunky fashion and seems to be a cheesy joke that her body is a hotel. I do not judge anyone’s preferences when it comes to their sexuality, and people can be as sexual or asexual as they want, but this song does not convey her sexual pride in a strong way.
This album is definitely the perfect thing to listen to if you need a boost of adrenaline. I personally added some of the songs to my playlist so I can listen to them in the morning and feel even more powerful. However, I was disappointed that she only released an EP. I hope that someday she’ll produce a full album because she deserves to be in the rock spotlight.
4/5 stars
pbortner@ramapo.edu
Photo courtesy of Sebastian Ervi, Pexels.
