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“Life is an endless loop of happiness, sadness, difficult times and more. When life hits you hard, sometimes you just want to blame everything on someone else”, says BIBI in her HYPEBAE interview, and that’s exactly what she expressed in her second EP ‘Life Is a Bi…’, which was released in April 2021. The pop and R&B EP contains five tracks showcasing BIBI’s vocals in multiple forms over mainly trap beats. The album cover, reminiscent of Francis Bacon’s paintings in the colours and shapes of the bruised face, sets the tone for the album which references BDSM throughout the track list.
‘Life Is a Bi…’ starts off with the all-English song “Umm… Life”. The track makes great use of her voice in the chorus, almost like an instrument. The simple beat leaves room for her vocals to take all the space. BIBI implements rhythm with word repetitions and melody with divine harmonies, as well as the use of her voice range. “Umm… Life” is a great introduction to the album, mellow yet catchy, announcing the colours of the album, while leading the way to the EP’s lead single.
The title of the song “BAD SAD AND MAD”, which could be shortened to “BDSM”, is one of the many examples of BIBI’s ability to play with words. In this song, BIBI showcases her lyricism with wordplays. For instance, she bends commonly used expressions, such as “you red (read) my mind”, “pink (spank) me with ties” and “black(break) my bones”. The lyrics are sexy, well thought out and rhythmically satisfying, especially in the chorus. Once again, BIBI’s harmonies are a real pleasure to listen to and she also uses repetition to implement rhythm and flow in the song, showing she knows how to use words for their meaning but also for the aesthetic of their sound, which is always a pleasure to hear. In “BAD SAD AND MAD”, BIBI’s vocals fill the song and shine through as in the last song, supported by a simple beat. This single offers a lot of variety with her voice delivery, going from soft, husky vocals to angelic harmonies, to screaming and more.
“PIRI the dog”, the song which was supposed to be the actual single of the EP, offers an interesting insight into a broken relationship, with BIBI taking the viewpoint of an abandoned dog. This song is poignant as the dog begs the owner to let it back into the house, which can be understood as a broken lover wanting to be back in their lover’s arm after a rough split, surrendering to their partner. The theme and angle of the song are creative and show once again how BIBI is not afraid to think outside of the box. She even uses actual dog barks in the song, one example of how she uses distance and self-deprecation in this album, even though she touches on some heavier subjects at times.
The EP continues with “Birthday Cake”, one of the most vulnerable songs of the album which, coupled with the video, shows deep introspection. One of the themes of this song is about not knowing your own worth, such as in the lyrics “Nobody told me I get grands for hour and half so I sold it for one hunnit”. The video beautifully illustrates the realization of selling yourself short and surrendering to the pain of it. This song is a bubble of calm towards the end of the album with a soft beat, soulful vocals, harmonies, and a beautiful finale using violins.
The last song of the eponymous EP, “Life Is a Bi…” closes the album with a song about finally leaving a toxic relationship after all the hurdles encountered. Once again, the 22-year-old singer showcases her amazing lyricism with wordplays and she even references her popular song “Cigarette and Condom” in the lyrics. The song is a great way to end the EP, mixing the vibes of the earlier songs and finishing with the violins like in “Birthday Cake”.
‘Life Is a Bi…’ is an EP where BIBI does what she knows she excels in. Technically, she offers a variety of vocal deliveries, which makes me want to hear what else she can do, as I feel she can go even further in that direction. BIBI is a great lyricist and her wits are not lost in this album. She gives a great insight into life and relationships in her own whimsical, sexy and sensitive way. Even though there aren’t many songs to the project, this EP feels complete and offers a great quality of songs, without any skips. The quality of the videos accompanying the songs is amazing and everyone should go watch them. They reference each other and truly show BIBI’s artistry, going from one character to the other seamlessly, as well as a real sense of storytelling, as she mentioned in her interview for HYPEBAE: “I was going for a sad, funny but cute vibe – something that seems like a comedy from afar but is actually a tragedy close-up.”
Life may sometimes be a Bi… but sometimes, it offers great albums like this one along the way that make things worthwhile.
RATING: 9/10
Juliette Garcia
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