Bringing back SoundCloud energy in this era still requires constant sprinkles of versatility for it to work across every setting, and that’s where today’s rap energy shines. This album has that diversity in its beats, despite the common thread of laid back raps. Another highlight, “torched !”, carries a crunk energy that feels made for the club. The lyricism speaks to the numbness of intoxication, but it all unfolds as if it’s happening in the middle of a party. Even with thoughts telling everything to slow down, the urge is still to bounce. The song eventually gives in to shimmering bells, another transition in texture that adds to its catchiness and plays beautifully against those melting layers.

PK’s even attached a full aesthetic to the album on the website. The skateboarding energy, the leopard print fashion, everything red and bold in every sense. Even with all the haze and laid back delivery, the album still feels steeped in a kind of rich intoxication, something immersive. But the visual language around it adds another dimension entirely, one that feels louder and impossible to miss. That’s what makes code red ! stick. And with the likes of MJ and Lil Uzi as inspirations, it makes sense, especially when artists like Uzi have made each project feel like its own fully formed era. Who knows what era PolarKidd will be in next - at this point, his diversity knows no bounds.