SONG REVIEW: Sellouts - "Selfish"
Sellouts combine sick trap beats with hardcore grit in “Selfish”
Written by JD Walker
When a band chooses to bend genres and combine two sounds into one new and unique voicing, it can be a challenge to remain true to their respective roots while exploring the new sound - that issue wasn’t experienced by Sellouts, who combined two vastly different genres in trap and hardcore music into one cohesive sound but were able to remain true to the respective genres that they brought together in their ferocious sound.
“Selfish” begins with a disgustingly groovy trap beat, characterized by overdriven bass and an eighth note staccato before kicking into the main riff of the song. As the song kicks in, it’s clear that the vibe of the tune is along the lines of hardcore and beatdown. Just as the hardcore section (which ends up being the chorus) comes to a close, the trap section returns while being fleshed out by the rest of the band and comes in the form of a more cohesive sounding verse. Overall, Sellouts does a great job of building upon previously introduced sections and progressing through the song.
Examining what makes up the band, it’s easy to see what led them to the sound they;ve achieved - the group is a trio composed of vocalist Mack Couch, co-writer/producer Jon Eberhard, and drummer/producer CJ Bertram. Having two producers in the band certainly steers the sound towards a more cohesive, well thought out songwriting style that flows and builds upon itself without getting stale. “Selfish” is a great example of knowing exactly what a song needs and not overplaying or overstepping boundaries, but still remaining creative and unique in presentation.
The Michigan-based trio clearly are not rookies when it comes to writing catchy songs, and “Selfish” is a testament to that - the song combines elements of trap music, hardcore, nu-metal, metalcore, and a smattering of other sounds to excel upon those individual genres while also staying true to them. “Selfish” is an incredibly dynamic song through and through, and Sellouts are true professionals in songwriting that are hell bent to show the music industry what they’re truly capable of.