Friday, January 15, 2021

HEWAS

The multicultural and multifaceted Tik Tok sensation, Hewas, has released a new track, the improperly compounded, “Wholething.” It’s a collaboration with the Father of Flower, himself, Afroman, and the alliterative error may not be the only improper aspect of this song. But more on that, later. As aforementioned, Hewas made a splash on Tik Tok with “Lemon” released in 2020, by garnering an absurdly impressive 3 million views. It’s said that platforms, such as Tik Tok, and youtube are now the paths to musical notoriety, and Hewas’ burgeoning popularity seems to support this theory.  

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/iamhewas 

“Wholething” comes at you like a gust of cannabis scented fragrance. It’s low key, catchy, and makes you want to dance in place. It’s a programmed synth riff, that has the slightest hint of familiarity, yet uncommon, at the same time. Hewas kicks off the track, with a delicate falsetto, that is rare, even amongst singers with a high octave. His lines subtly begin to merge with Afroman’s, whose uncanny style takes the track to the next level of anticipation.  

Hewas describes the whole thing, as something of a dual meaning. As in, don’t ruin the whole thing, or conversely, turn this fling into a WHOLE thing. It’s the cliched concept of wanting to have your cake and eat it too. In the wake of the me too era and people still debating what constitutes toxic sexuality, this was something of a bold direction for Hewas to take. He and Afroman seem nonplussed at offending anyone, and instead focus on delivering a quality piece of music.  

I find you attractive/sexually active/hold me down/but don’t hold me captive. The latter two lines sum up the crux of “Wholething.” I think that there is still a generalized perception of men in particular, who avoid commitment at all cost. Hewas and Afroman play off this stigma, spinning it into a sort of parody. As with most great parodies though, there are more serious, social and psychological themes to explore, and questions being raised, below the surface. 

Of course, in spite of the moral aspects of “Wholething,” it makes a great party song. It’s the kind of song I can imagine throngs of clubbers invading the dancefloor to, gyrating with drink in hand, reciting every word. Sometimes it’s the most forward and candid subject matter that people identify most with. “Wholething” verbalizes the things we may think, but wouldn’t dare say. It may stop just short of being liberating, but just informal enough, to let your hair down. 

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Wholething-Explicit-HEwas-Afroman/dp/B08P6C8RH4

“Wholething” is a few things, but the biggest thing is Hewas, himself. This will just be another guest feature for Afroman, for which he has and will likely continue to do many. After showing a great deal of versatility, it will be intriguing to hear where Hewas goes from here. Ideally, he will take on material that will expand his reach, by continuing to cross genres and capitalize on his soft charisma. Hewas might just be best served by taking a figurative step back in time, so in the near future, we’ll be saying He IS a star on the rise.

Martha Crabtree posted by Mindy McCall