If you were scrolling on TikTok or Instagram reels this summer, you might’ve seen a familiar face on your feed promoting his music with videos lipsyncing to his songs in his car, with his dog, or in his room (don’t forget the signature video glitch in postproduction!).
While inspired by and often compared to the artists he references in the captions of his videos — xaviersobased, Nettspend, Che — Ethan M. ’27, also known as 7sevenseason, is paving his own way in the underground. After a summer dropping the singles “be the 1” and “no sleep,” 7sevenseason returned on October 1 with his first extended play, or EP, #7sevenseason. The EP features six entirely new tracks for a runtime of 16 minutes 28 seconds; for those wondering if the EP is worth a listen, no need to get back on SoundCloud or turn on Spotify’s private listening session, because Tatler’s listened to it for you.
chanel.
Frank Ocean might not have made music for the past 10 years, but “chanel.” still pays homage to the iconic artist with a sample reimagining his track with the same name. The sample is an immediate highlight to the track where the lyrics introduce the EP’s central themes: fashion, money, love, his haters, and how much better he is than them. Though the lyrics were hard to decipher, the line “Yeah, I passed her, passed him, put ‘em in the past tense” stood out on first
listen as quick, witty, and memorable. Rating: ★★★☆☆
when i say go.
When’s the last time you thought of Saks Fifth Avenue, the department store chain rumored to be facing bankruptcy? Perhaps while visiting New York City. Probably while reading that question. Or maybe while listening to “when i say go,” which features the store as the place to go for “swag.” While “chanel.” is a tough act to follow, “when i say go” has some of the funniest moments on the EP including fan favorite “Said she want a new bag, but I don’t think she needs that” and the “Bleh” at the one-minute mark, a creative risk that’s hard to say paid off. But if you can ignore that, the bridge before the final chorus is a genuine highlight. Rating: ★★☆☆☆
one call.
By far our favorite track on the EP, “one call.” is a definite departure from the sound of the first two tracks. The instrumental has an earworm quality, complemented by the romantic nature of the song, from lyrics like “She just wanna get me alone … Baby you’re the one I miss the most” to the repetition of “I’m only one call away.” The track also features the most variation, breaking down at the one-minute mark only to seamlessly transition back into the chorus 15 seconds later. But the song isn’t all about love. Bars like “Swear you was hating back then, but can’t hate right now ‘cause we all the way up / Yeah I’ve been balling since I was a jit, so f— it, I’m crossing ‘em up” remind you that 7sevenseason contains multitudes. Rating: ★★★★☆
kill for ya.
This track originally caught my eye because it features GoVanni, a rapper with a substantial following who is even listened to by reigning NBA champion and Oklahoma Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. And honestly? It’s kind of a banger. 7sevenseason and GoVanni play off each other in a way that flows together while still being distinct enough to tell their verses apart. Theme-wise, we get a similar mix between romance and bluster as in “one call.,” most memorably in the line “She said she love me, I said- She said she love me, I said OK (yeah) OK (yeah) OK.” It’s amusingly simple, but it works. The absurdity only adds to the catchiness, amplifying the energy of the underlying beat. Rating: ★★★★☆
racks on the table.
The beat? Definitely carrying this one. The bass-boosted piano line with the tone layering (the dial tones!) gives it a “bounce” driving it forward. Of all the tracks, it’s tied with “when i say go.” to be the most reminiscent of his singles, so you’d be a fan of this one if “be the 1,” “no sleep,” and “die on stage” are favorites of yours. The lyricism? Unfortunately, we only understood about every third word he said. From what we did catch (which was mainly just “let’s go go go don’t stop”), it’s alright … but we found previous tracks to execute this better. Regardless, the production is really what shines here. Rating: ★★★☆☆
rover (never stop creating).
We close the EP on a more motivational note, hence the message “never stop creating,” which is also written in his spotify bio. The track definitely reflects this in its general tone. The beat and the building synth is simple, but it has that inspirational feeling. The texture of the synth and the chord progression actually kind of reminded me of the production in Taylor Swift’s album 1989, but I might be making a stretch there. Vocally, he’s more clear on this track, though, we have to say, the way the Rick Owens monologue in the middle was delivered was… interesting; “you have to shut up and work and work and work all the time” is certainly a way to catch my attention, but then it just sort of kept going and going, causing a bit of a lull in the pacing. Rating: ★★☆☆☆
They say all art is referential. #7sevenseason is a prime example, with a wide spectrum of source material, including Chanel (both the fashion house and song), Rick Owens, and underground rap artists Che and xaviersobased (the repetition of the word “go” is reminiscent of their collaboration “Mannequin,” despite very obvious sonic differences, and could be coincidental). It’s clear he’s tapped into pop culture. But are references enough? The EP follows a very formulaic approach to rap — girls, money, clothes, cars, haters, “enemies” — but it truly shines when it isn’t trying so hard to do so (“one call.” !!!). With better mixing and continuing to kill the haters with kindness in his comment sections, we have no doubt 7sevenseason is truly next up.
#7sevenseason is available for streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud, and wherever else you listen to music.
