#explanation7

[criticalqueercore-remix]

Good Kisser - Hunx And His Punx

“Good Kisser” by Hunx And His Punx is an upbeat, fun song with comedic elements. Hunx sings the hook: “I don't think he's gonna miss her/Because I'm a really good kisser” The hook implies that Hunx is going to steal a (supposedly) straight man away from his girlfriend. Hunx is so sure that he will be a better partner that he claims the man will not miss his ex-girlfriend. Songs such as “Good Kisser” are rare in the queer punk scene because it does not employ the same heaviness that hardcore and punk usually does. The lyrics are also very positive:

“I don't think he's gonna miss her

Because I'm a really good kisser

And when I get my lips on him tonight

He knows there'll be no way he'll put up a fight

You know with me and him it'll feel so right”

Cliche relationship narratives are radicalized when an artist is singing about a queer experience, even by simply changing the pronouns. The song reads as an average love song, but with a radical twist because Hunx is singing about loving another man. Although “Good Kisser” does not present any political discourse, representation is so important to the lives of young queer people. Everyone needs an idol to look up to, someone to tell them they aren’t a freak. Hunx And His Punx are known for being amusing and heartening. 

[criticalremixproject-blog]

“Praying to the Sky”

“Praying to the Sky” was written by Lil Peep in 2015, two years before the young rapper passed away. Lil Peep (real name Gustav Elijah Åhr) was a part of the SoundCloud ‘mumble rap’ genre and a leader in the trend of ‘emo hip-hop’ or ‘sad rap’ which features lyrics about depression and vocals in the style of classic emo. Similar to most other SoundCloud rappers, Lil Peep abused prescription drugs, which ended up costing his life in 2017 after taking Xanax cut with Fetanyl. “Praying to the Sky” is a look into Åhr’s depression and mental health issues and how Åhr copes by using prescription drugs. Åhr’s raps:

           I hear voices in my head, they tellin’ me to call it quits

           I found some Xanax in my bed, I took that shit, went back to sleep

           They gon’ miss me when I’m dead, I lay my head and rest in peace

           I’m prayin’ to the sky, I don’t even know why, aye

In this verse Lil Peep raps about his suicidal thoughts. “Praying to the Sky” compares the peaceful feeling Xanax provides to what Peep dreams it would be like to be a dead body (“rest in peace”). Prescription drugs are typically prescribed to patients with mental health issues such as Gustav Åhr but can become a problem when prescription drugs become recreational and dosages are ignored. Prescription drugs can also become a problem when they are being obtained from non-medical sources. Prescription drugs that do not come from a pharmacy are often cut with Fetanyl and other chemicals to increase product amount. Fetanyl has been infiltrating the drug trade and causing serious problems, such as the tragic early death of Gustav Åhr at age 21 and the recent death of Mac Miller at age 26. “Praying to the Sky” suggests the connection between mental health and prescription drug abuse.