Not ‘Terrified,’ But Underwhelmed: fakemink’s “The Boy who cried Terrified .” Scares No One

Alice Ahn and Sophia Kim | 73 Views

“The Boy who cried Terrified .” is fakemink’s third long-form release, a rarity amid the 50+ singles in his discography. While a cohesive musical style runs through all seven tracks, the creative direction feels far less defined — reflected in the arbitrary use of spacing and punctuation in the title and track names, as well as the scattered themes throughout the lyrics.

British rapper fakemink released his second EP, “The Boy who cried Terrified .” on Jan. 29. In the wake of numerous viral releases like “LV Sandals” and “Fever,” the EP was highly anticipated, but fell short of fans’ expectations.

Blow the Speaker .

“Blow the Speaker .” opens the EP with a mellow, melodic synth before transitioning into fakemink’s signature bass-heavy trap sound. The line “Really feel the stress, no, I really feel the pressure” briefly introduces the sense of anxiety that he explores throughout the EP’s 7 tracks. So, when fakemink says, “Turn the bass up, blow the speaker,” he suggests music as a brief escape from that lingering pressure.

Young Millionaire .

Driven by an ominous guitar loop and tight, fast-paced beats, “Young Millionaire .” pulls listeners deep into the anxious headspace that fakemink mentioned in “Blow the Speaker .” As his songs trend online and he rises from the underground toward the mainstream, “Young Millionaire .” reflects his first real encounter with fame. He balances boasts about success and self-producing with derealization, captured in lines like “Life feel like a TV show, Truman,” a reference to the ‘90s film, “The Truman Show.”

Dumb .

With “Dumb .,” “The Boy who cried Terrified .” begins to lose momentum. While fakemink is known for his trap beats, it becomes redundant by this third track, with each song sounding like a variation of the same theme at a different tempo and key. The lyrics on “Dumb .” are weak and jump between ideas without a clear focus, though they suggest fakemink’s priority is simply making music he enjoys rather than catering to audience understanding. This attitude is reflected in the line, “I love my haters and I love the ones that’s showin’ me love.”

The Mercer .

Again, there is nothing particularly special about the beat or melody of “The Mercer .” Despite being the fifth track on the EP, it has the fewest streams, suggesting listener fatigue from hearing the same sound repeated. The lyrics are reminiscent of “Young Millionaire .,” but without the earlier sense of alienation. Instead, fakemink goes all in on braggadocio with phrases like “you’re washed and I’m great,” diminishing the sense of vulnerability he nearly achieved earlier on the EP.

Overall, “The Boy who cried Terrified .” shows flashes of emotional depth and carries fakemink’s signature style and production. However, overreliance on style makes the EP feel monotonous, leaving fans still hungry for something new.

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About the Contributors

Alice Ahn, Editor-in-Chief

Alice Ahn is an Editor-in-Chief for her third and final year on the Portola Pilot. Beyond proofreading her writing an unhealthy number of times, Alice frequents novels with entrancing titles but mediocre plots — and conversely, movies with plain titles that destroy you. She is equally excited and sentimental about her senior year, and will miss this forever.

Sophia Kim, Front Page Editor

Sophia Kim is the Front Page Editor for her second year on the Portola Pilot. In the little free time that she has—most of it dedicated to studying physics this year—Sophia enjoys sewing, trimming her hair, and drawing. She hopes that her designs for the newspaper’s front cover will attract many new readers.