Album review: Joey Valence & Brae – HYPERYOUTH

Why don’t the good times last? Why does growing up equal selling out? And why are people too self-conscious to surrender to the rhythm these days? These are questions pondered on the third album by Joey Valence & Brae, a rap duo raised on a diet of Beastie Boys, EDM and post-hardcore, who prove that some internet fame is more than a flash in the pan.

Joey Valence & Brae – real names Joseph Bertolino and Braedan Lugue – gained notoriety when their track Double Jump received more than 17 million views on TikTok, earning them a wide-eyed appearance on The Ellen Show in 2022. Much has changed since then, having collaborated with Pendulum and toured with Sum 41. And while they’re still making music in their bedrooms, their snowballed confidence has manifested itself as one of the year’s most infectious records.

Admittedly, listening to HYPERYOUTH, the influence of Beastie Boys and EDM is more prominent than that of the post-hardcore. There’s a tight, controlled flow to their bars that recalls Ad-Rock, MCA and Mike D, which can pack a punky snarl too, while WASSUP (feat. JPEGMAFIA) and THE PARTY SONG possess an electrifying thrum that’s impossible to ignore.

HYPERYOUTH steps things up from the duo’s first two albums, Punk Tactics (2023) and No Hands (2024), which felt more compartmentalised, restlessly shifting focus from one record to the next, held together by a unifying drive to keep energy levels up. This time, however, the guys have thrown everything in – musical styles, eclectic samples, lyrical easter eggs, and, in fellow viral sensation Rebecca Black’s appearance on SEE YOU DANCE, even a nostalgic cameo. And somehow, despite all the bells, whistles and kitchen sinks, the DIY feel remains. It’s a lot to take in, though mostly in service of a good time.

You can’t fault the enthusiasm of authors who seem blissfully unaware of the concept of ‘gilding the lily’, though things falter when more meaningful ruminations are thrown into the mix. Closing track DISCO TOMORROW aims for balancing grandiosity (‘B-R-A-E, I’m the MVP / One day I’ma be a G-O-A-T’) and modesty (‘I remember getting frozen yogurt pay stubs / $7.25 an hour, I thought I was balling / I never thought this rhyming shit would be my life’s calling’), but arrives at plodding bombast.

The fact HYPERYOUTH is so hyperstuffed means that if something doesn’t float your boat, then don’t worry, a fleet of other ideas will be sailing by imminently. Meanwhile, for new listeners, there’s something heartening about hearing young artists with such a deluge of ideas.

Incredibly, this is Joey Valence & Brae’s third album in three years, suggesting an old school work ethic to go with the old school elements of their sound. What’s more, on this evidence, they’re continuing to achieve quantity and quality. It may even get you dancing too.

Verdict: 4/5

For fans of: Pendulum, Denzel Curry, FEVER 333

Hyperyouth is out now via RCA