Rising star Dominic Fike caught everyone’s attention with the epic release of his ep “Don’t Forget About Me” in 2018. He is one of few artists with this much talent and promise right out of the gate. With the ability to write a genre diversified album, he is the best of the best at carving his own musical path. His music could be considered anything from pop to alternative to rock. Labels were throwing millions at him in a combative bidding war before the ep even officially came out. Since then he has released a full album only furthering him down the path of success.

He also gained face recognition from his role on the HBO hit TV show Euphoria. As character Elliot, Fike had the opportunity to perform one of this songs on the show to help boost his musical presence. The song however did not go over as well as they’d hoped and the internet concluded it was an unnecessary addition to the show. As a fan, I felt he could have played plenty of other, better, songs for the biggest audience he’s ever reached. It was an amazing opportunity for him and hopefully his soundtrack song with co-star Zendaya, Elliot’s Song, was enough publicity to make this scene worth it. Today his fans are chomping at the bit for the release of his teased album Sunburn; scheduled to be released on July 7th of this year.

Seeing Fike’s growing success is made more impressive by his humble start on soundcloud. “Don’t forget About Me, Demos” kicks off with it’s most popular song’ “3 Nights.” It’s led with a now iconic guitar riff reaching past the popularity of the rest of the album. It’s fast tempo and pop vocals make any summer playlist feel complete.

The album itself is laced with themes of simple relatability that a lighthearted youth wants to listen to. The listener is drawn to not take life so seriously and go with the flow; like in “She Wants My Money” when Fike says, “Sit back and ride a wave, a tidal wave / Relax, don’t fight the wave, Light the way”. Fike pushes messages of peace and letting go in a time of inscrutable pressure on teens and young adults from social media to looming climate disaster to rising college tuition in a world where a college degree is all but essential for economic survival. Fike is just what we need.

I was exhilarated listening to “Westcoast Collective” to hear an early weezer hook from “Say it Ain’t so” off of Weezer’s “Blue Album.” This demonstrates a great amount of musical maturity we don’t see in other young artists. Timelessness is a quality a lot of newer artists are ignoring in an attempt to directly connect with the younger generation. I personally see its value.

Keep listening and Fike uses music to unlocked an experience that makes people appreciate a little thing. “King of Everything” is like having the house to yourself at 14. The imagination in this song reflects his youth but in a fun and accessible way.  “Make the rules up on my own / I can break them if I please / Cause I make up the police.” We all cumulatively share a variety of human experiences we don’t talk about because of a misguided view of insignificance towards them. Fike shines a light.

The ep is a short 17 minutes and 33 seconds even with the added tracks. This doesn’t take away from his overwhelming fun, loving and new age vibe that creates an atmosphere of friendship and relaxation for listeners. If anything, it leaves you hungry for more. With this built in experience and the exceptional guitar backing, you certainly won’t forget about him.