When 18 year old singer-songwriter carolesdaughter (aka Thea Taylor) uploaded her song ‘violent’ to Soundcloud 8 months ago, she could hardly prepare for the level of success it has achieved. The song has over 20 million streams across all platforms and even reached #2 on Spotify’s Viral 50 Chart.
Her success on Soundcloud alone was no small feat, but as the song gained traction on TikTok, she was propelled further into the spotlight. Several major content creators began lip-syncing to the track, and soon many young women began making videos showcasing their trendy clothing and gothic makeup. The 808s, raw guitar, and Taylor’s ethereal vocals fit perfectly with the e-girl aesthetic, which has blended emo, anime, rap, and y2k trends together to form the defining style of the platform.
The new video plays off of these aesthetics, combining Taylor’s gothic style, plush teddy bears, horror motifs, and white lace juxtaposed with gore.
‘Violent’ speaks on the emotional turmoil of an abusive relationship, and its raw, lo-fi sound only adds to the feelings of desperation and fury conveyed in her lyrics. Taylor is no stranger to hardship, but has always turned to songwriting in her darkest times. One of her influences is the late Lil Peep, who also started on Soundcloud, and came to represent the new generation of “emo rap”. This style was distinct from the celebratory verses of other rappers at the time, who sang about the glory of women, drugs, and money. Emo rap approached these subjects with a different tone. Artists dared to discuss issues of addiction, mental health, unrequited love, and the price of fame. carolesdaughter follows in these footsteps of her influences, diving into the tragic aspects of this relationship with a keen, heartbreaking voice and, of course, a catchy hook.