American artist Bktherula flexes her versatility on her highly anticipated ‘Level 5 Part Two’.
I’ve been listening to Bktherula since I was in the eighth grade. I remember when my classmate showed me her song ‘Tweakin’ together’. The spacey and rich sounds had me hooked, to which I have been for years since.
Bktherula has evolved graciously with slick wordplay, complex production, beautiful visuals, and elegant instrumentation. She has always had very distinct vulnerability and subject matter in her songs, however, on this project – it goes to a whole new level.
LVL5P2 is the sequel to her last mixtape ‘Level 5 Part One’, released mid-February last year. That project had some highlights like ‘Tan’, ‘FOREVER PT 2 (JEZEBEL)’ with American rapper Destroy Lonely, ‘WE MADE IT’ with rapper/singer Rico Nasty, and the best on the project (personally) – the R&B coded track ‘BELIEVE’; in spite of that, though, the mixtape fell flat for me. The individual performances outshined the complete project. It dragged and played like a playlist more than a cohesive body of work. Some songs got repetitive quickly and were quite boring to relisten to, while others have an almost infinite amount of replay value.
This album, though, didn’t have this impact at all.
A quality of Bk’s music that has improved the most over the years is her composition. Every subsequent album, from her earliest work ‘Love Santana’ to the transcendental ‘Nirvana’, to my personal favorite ‘LOVE BLACK’ – every project and its individual performances have all led to the next and fed off of each other to culminate her latest work.
Bktherula told The Face magazine in late 2023 that she’s been operating on ‘Level 5’ since she was 16 years old. Coined as she graduated high school, she described this as an “egoless” state of mind beyond the 3rd and 4th dimensions, where she exists immune to the rules and the pressures of clout, navigating life and the universe on her own terms. ““I woke up and felt all these feelings that I never felt,” she says of her spaceship-to-Damascus moment. “I had all these thoughts that I never had [before]. Then I went to everyone else and tried to talk about it and everyone was like: ‘What are you talking about?’ I realized, wait… no one else goes through this? This isn’t a ‘16-year-old going through 16-year-old’ type shit?’” (Bktherula, The Face magazine, 2023). This concept finally clicked for me when listening to ‘Level 5 Part Two’.
This album has a lot of really good qualities. The arrangement of tracks, the production, the vocals, the visuals – I enjoyed all of it. It opens with the skull-crushing ‘CODE’, which includes writing credits from musical powerhouses Kanye West and MIKE DEAN. Then, there is ‘NUN’. This song introduces one of the many themes that recur throughout the project. Love. The unrequited, the betrayed, the bittersweet, the longing. All of these reflect in this track and throughout the album, but more specifically on the second half.
Another highlight on this is just the second half. The fractal, otherworldly production on songs like ‘JUST MAKE SURE’, ‘FEATHERS’, and ‘THE WAY’, just to name a few, are so fun to listen to. Production is perhaps the most important aspect of music to me. An artist can have the lamest and corniest lyrics known to man, but if the beat sounds good – I’m sat. It’s always been this way. A beat really makes or breaks a song, especially in a genre like Rap. When it’s well done, it can elevate a track. But when it isn’t, it sticks out like a sore thumb, and absolutely destroys all appeal to a song in my opinion. That being said, there isn’t a single song on this album that deals with this.
‘THE WAY’ was a single dropped a week before the album’s release accompanied by a music video that featured mixed media. Mixed media is a cool format that is used in a lot of modern music videos, more specifically in indie and rap music videos. ‘THE WAY’ discusses love, partnership, and vulnerability with the ones you cherish. “It light up//You on fire//The entire world stops for you//And it’s so good to see how much you seem to bleed//Lets not light up ‘cus we already high up”. The bond, the appreciation that Bk expresses here through silky vocals, an acoustic guitar, and dizzy synths is so poetic, especially with the visuals. ‘THE WAY’ is one of the best on here for sure.
Another track similar to this is the trance-inducing ‘JUST MAKE SURE’. It has a hypnotic beat that wanders and expands as the song progresses, mixed with a catchy harmony that loops throughout. This song, less about love and more so self discovery, Bk reflects on her artistry and the hope she holds for her music to impact and inspire her fans. “Just make sure you tell me you love me too//Be the biggest inspo’ for you and you’. This song is perhaps the most introspective on this album. This sentiment of spirituality and introspection reverberates and is heard again on ‘FEATHERS’. “When I talk loud, they show up//What does that show you?//Who am I to you?//Who are you to me?//It’s all ego”. The meditative wordplay scattered throughout this LP makes it so remarkable. On other songs, like ‘RACKS UP’, she raps about cutting ties with what no longer serves her. It serves as a great conclusion to this album. It culminates all of the sentiments expressed throughout the album and indirectly tells the listener to stay tuned.
It’s not at all rare for artists to be vulnerable or open or introspective, but there is just no one executing it as entrancingly as Bktherula.
On another note, It was cool to see Bktherula collaborate with rapper-songwriter JID. Their styles of rap are pretty different, but their voices blend together beautifully on the breakup ballad ‘Woman’. The track didn’t stand out to me, but I appreciate how different it is from her usual songs.
This review wouldn’t have been complete without mentioning ‘SHAKIN’ IT’ with rapper-producer Cash Cobain. Produced by Cobain, the track samples the ethereal hit song ‘Let Go’ by Ark Patrol and Veronika Redd. I don’t know if it’s the sample, the beat, Bk’s flow, or Cobain’s verse – but that song is perfect. Definitely one of the best from this album.
Like most albums, LVL5 P2 does have its downfalls. For example, songs such as ‘BOI’ and ‘INSANE’ were overall drags to me. The album would’ve done just fine without them. They aren’t necessarily skips, but not the kinds of songs you add to a playlist or listen to outside of the album itself.
Interestingly, as much as I praise the production and openness on this record, it feels like Bk is holding back. This album holds its own, with low lights that are outshined by its highlights to an extent. However, I left this album wanting more. Bktherula could’ve taken this further, and to be honest I think she will in the future.
Overall, I really enjoyed this album. There are a lot of lush sounds on this album and there really is something for everyone. I’m excited to see what Bktherula does in the future. Her career looks bright.
