THE BPM
“THE BPM IS THE POWER”
Written by Kodi Reynolds
The singer, songwriter, and self-taught violinist extraordinaire Brittney Parks is back with her 3rd studio album under the Sudan Archives moniker as the "Gadget Girl", and it is nothing short of breathtaking. Parks has continued to make waves in the scene since her debut Athena in 2019. This album is a culmination of what makes her Sudan Archives, as she achieves what all artists should strive for: innovation within individuality. All roads lead to one of the most creative, euphoric, and ethereal albums of the current decade.
THE BPM is just one of those albums that has everything going for it; I knew the day I heard "DEAD" for the first time that we were in for a masterpiece. That momentum did not end with it either, Parks released six singles leading up to the release, each encapsulating the different parts of the machine that is this record. Starting with the aforementioned "DEAD", a groovy exultant track that defined all of my walks of the summer, which holds the core of this album in the chorus, amidst her signature violin, as Parks muses, "Hello. It's me. Did you miss me? Just take this piece, the best of me." She followed this up with "MY TYPE", where she shamelessly accepted her sexuality onto extremely sensual post-house beats. Then, they released the quirky and cheeky "MS. PAC MAN", which stirred some controversy, but emphasises the enjoyment of the fleeting fun moments, and ended the single rollout with "A BUG'S LIFE," a manifesto of confidence and individuality. However, a rollout is nothing if the whole record doesn't satiate the needs the singles create, and yet Parks left some of her best work to be discovered on release day.
I don't mean this lightly when I say "THE NATURE OF POWER" is a song that needs to have a permanent residency in club DJs' sets. The track is minimal but powerful, built on deep bass, sharp percussion, and an eerie looping violin. The lyrics reflect this idea of mastery over one's emotions and identity. At the same time, her vocals oscillate between ethereal and commanding, creating a push-and-pull tension that mirrors the song's theme, positioning Sudan Archives as both an observer and a participant in the dynamics of control. "DAVID & GOLIATH" is another song that had me hooked from the first listen, so much so that I repeated it 15 times on release day. This song is rich with imagery of confrontation and triumph, in which Parks positions herself against larger forces that push her down. Yet, it isn't about succumbing to pressure. Sudan Archives does what she lyrically does best, flipping the narrative because what others might see as weakness she turns into her edge, showing the power in self-definition. This song is a perfect representation of her work because, for most artists, it would come off as braggy and brash. Still, instead she displays it in a way of reclamation, a reminder of survival in a world that doubts you is a victory in itself.
This album's 15-track, 51-minute run time can be daunting and appear bloated; however, Sudan Archives utilises every second. Songs like "LOS CINCI" and "MS. PAC MAN" each serve a role, just like parts of every machine, even if their functions are muted or lesser known; their vitality to the final product is pertinent. Every song also features the endless shift from sensual to high-octane to slower R&B. Still, this whiplash captures the human experience precisely. Where the eclecticism and discordant flow of this album's cohesion might deter others, this is precisely the point Parks is trying to get across. Without the intimate beats of "COME AND FIND YOU," the reflective environments of "HEAVEN KNOWS" and "A COMPUTER LOVE," or the adrenaline-filled "NOIRE" and "TOUCH ME," the record would come across as more synthetic and manufactured, which is the complete antithesis of the record. This all culminates in the title track, which addictively proclaims, "THE BPM IS THE POWER," which highlights Sudan Archives' self-fulfilling prophecy of success. This idea is that confidence, individuality, loss, love, and experience are what make us human and powerful.
I genuinely have endless flowers for this record because everything about it is flawless. Her ability to seamlessly mix her signature violin with the futuristic sounds of this record is just so satisfyingly impressive. This flows perfectly with what this record represents, as the "Gadget Girl" persona she takes on is anything but robotic, showing that no mechanical creation can mimic the human experience. Even the masterclass rollout itself that kept the hype going for months, to every electric song on this record serving its piece of the whole machine, reflecting this complex theme of the digital age and being human, to Sudan Archives' ability to seamlessly navigate this scene without shedding a single morsel of who she is.
