Rex Orange County “Who Cares?” Album Review

WHO CARES?

Rex Orange County

• Genre: Alternative
• Release Date: 2022-03-11
• Explicitness: explicit
• Country: International
• Track Count: 11
• ℗ 2022 Rex Orange County, under exclusive license to Sony Music Entertainment

“Who Cares?” is Rex Orange County’s fourth studio album. The album depicts love, heartbreak, self-doubt and perseverance through a mix of pop, R&B, soul and jazz, which does not stray from Rex Orange County’s usual style. His unique rhythm, style and flair are captivating while simultaneously hitting a sore spot with his heartfelt lyrics.

Even if there is no precise breakthrough moment for O’Connor on ‘Who Cares?’, there is something to be said for an artist that is this consistent and committed to uplifting his listeners. These 11 tracks encourage his audience to draw those curtains wide, look at the sun outside that window, and keep moving forward.

Album Cover Artwork

A simple, realistic and relatable choice for an album cover. Alex O’Connor, best known as Rex Orange County, is dressed in casual house clothes, chilling with his pet dogs on a carpet grass at a corner of his house. We can also spot Rex seated upon a mattress covered in white sheets, next to a lit bedside lamp and considering the album title written directly above his head. It’s clear to see that public opinion does not move him anymore.

He clearly does not care what anyone would think of him not having a bedframe or having floors laid with marble tiles, like other rich peers in the industry. Instead, the singer shows he’s having fun in his cute, little bubble in the company of his pets that probably mean a lot to him, enough to have them on the cover of his album.

Tracks

“Who Cares?” is a slow, very melodious album that presents 11 quick tracks with about 35 minutes. 10 of which are solo performances from Rex Orange County and a single guest feature on track 2, “Open a Window”, from long-time friend and collaborator, Grammy Award-winning rapper Tyler, The Creator.

Tracklist

NO	Title	Time
1	KEEP IT UP	3:03
2	OPEN A WINDOW (feat. Tyler, The Creator)	3:38
3	WORTH IT	2:44
4	AMAZING	3:29
5	ONE IN A MILLION	3:14
6	IF YOU WANT IT	3:07
7	7 AM	3:19
8	THE SHADE	3:01
9	MAKING TIME	1:55
10	SHOOT ME DOWN	4:52
11	WHO CARES?	2:29

Features

Rex Orange County collaborated with two artists on this album who have played significant roles throughout his career: Benny Sings and Tyler, The Creator. Benny Sings, who co-wrote “Loving is Easy” with Rex Orange County in 2017, is responsible for the keys, drums, bass flourishes and writing throughout “Who Cares?”

Tyler, The Creator and Rex Orange County first worked together on Tyler, The Creator’s album “Flower Boy”, and have been an iconic duo since. Tyler, The Creator is featured on the second track of the album, “Open a Window.” Tyler, The Creator has been a significant inspiration and mentor for Rex Orange County both musically and professionally.

Album Theme

The theme of the album, just like the name indicates, is about being oneself in a world where lives have and are still being shaped by public opinions and a bunch of he-say, she-says. Rex is not out to make hits on “Who Cares?” He is just doing his thing exactly how he loves to do it.

He does not care what anyone says about how he should sound or the kind of music he should be putting out. He’s inviting us into his bubble and putting us onto a different, vulnerable, but more evolved version of himself and his sound.

Production Credits

“Who Cares?” is chiefly produced by Rex Orange County, real name Alex O’Connor, and Benny Sings. In addition, Tyler Okonma, who goes by the stage name, Tyler, The Creator, sprinkled his fine composing skills on the album. Holding things down in the mixing and vocal engineering department is Ben Baptie, with Tom Archer assisting.

We also have Vic Wainstein helping with vocal engineering while Joe LaPorta handled the mastering.

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