The Edmonton-based hip-hop/r&b artist, rapper, and singer-songwriter Trendi releases an upbeat and uplifting 5-track EP entitled 'Pretty Girl Gold.'
Entering the music scene by freestyling with the boys and feeling encouraged to propel himself into an independent solo career, Trendi has now received the opportunity to collaborate with artists across Calgary, Vancouver, and even Albania. As of now, Trendi is focusing on prioritizing his creative collective, Chilzlife.
Expanding on the EP, 'Pretty Girl Gold,' Trendi offers a happier tribute to contemporary hip-hop, which he calls "happy rap." Within the project's first track, "Hello," the song is a perfect introduction to the EP with help from a vibrant female vocal sample and a Mac Miller-type beat. As Trendi reminds listeners to feel themselves and bask in the glory of the summer season, he blissfully transitions into the second track.
Throughout track number two, "Slide," we can feel this groovy nod to Chance the Rapper through the song's melodic keys, bright brass bursts, and Trendi's steady vocal groove. As he brings us into the song's lively hook, we can't help but chant his catchy bars alongside Trendi and the bright female vocal samples. We can also feel vocal similarities to the renowned stylings of Anderson. Paak, especially as Trendi drenches us in his natural poise and lyrical charisma.
Landing on the third track, "Yaba (feat. Darwin Topz)," this track has to be the peak of the EP, as Trendi and his accompanying rapper Darwin Topz, soak us in energy and heart from the very beginning. We adore the rhythmic feel of this song, especially as Trendi paints incredibly picturesque, desirous, and lustful scenes with his intimate bars and lyricism. Darwin Topz,'s feature truly evens out the song's vibrance as he pours his deep and powerful vocals over the track while maintaining that same energy and groove.
Moving into the project's fourth track, "Sun & Moon," listeners can catch Trendi and his upbeat sonics painting serene images of love, passion, and desire. The beat of this track is genuinely infectious, as it melts through our speakers with sweet synth arrangements, incredibly melodic keys, and rhythmic drum patterns. Not to mention Trendi's passionate lyrical theme, he offers listeners a sonic slice of heaven through his bars that touch on his devotion and love for someone special and close to his beating heart.
Reaching the last track of the EP, "Pretty," Trendi offers a more introspective and psychedelic approach through the intricate drum arrangements and delicate synth patterns that allow the listeners to gear their focus towards Trendi's passionate vocal performance. As he sings lyrics like "If I was a pretty boy, would you like me?," he leaves any listener relating to his sweet lyricism while allowing us to groove away with the song's tender and soulful sonic arrangement.
The overall listening experience of Trendi's recent 5-track EP, 'Pretty Girl Gold,' delivers vast similarities to acts like Chance the Rapper, Mac Miller, and Anderson. Paak. Not to mention his natural charisma and in-depth lyrical abilities, it's without a doubt that Trendi will become a household name sooner than later. Find Trendi's EP, 'Pretty Girl Gold,' on all digital streaming platforms.
Welcome to BuzzMusic Trendi, we genuinely appreciate the uplifting "happy rap" you've offered within your recent 5-track EP, 'Pretty Girl Gold.' Was there a particular moment that inspired you to create this feel-good project?
It's very difficult to narrow it down into one singular moment. Rather, it's a sort of inexplicable feeling that everyone experiences in their life in different ways. It's like when you can feel every cell in your body, just at the peak of being alive without worries. Personally, that comes to me when I'm standing at the ledge of a really high-up place, or driving with the windows down and speakers all the way up, or dipping my toes into cold water on a scorching day. Just fully immersed at the moment and enjoying it.
Did you work with any producers when formulating the feel-good sonics within the EP 'Pretty Girl Gold?' What did you want your audience to feel from the project's sonic arrangements?
I worked with a multitude of producers on this project! Both the intro song (Hello) and the outro song (Pretty) were local collaborations, and definitely the two I was most excited about. I believe my city has so much untapped potential, so to get in a room with some of the amazing producers we have and just create a vibe together was unparalleled. As far as arrangement goes, I like to picture my projects in the form of a wave, as energy over time. So for this project, the first two songs build-up to the 3rd track, Yaba, which is just intended to be a bouncy, energetic banger. Then, the following two tracks dial it back a bit more and bring the energy back down. I think picturing any project in this way is great for both artists and listeners, as they can feel themselves continuing to move along the path of the project as it plays!
What was it like collaborating with Darwin Topz, for "Yaba (feat. Darwin Topz,)" within the EP 'Pretty Girl Gold?' What was your collaborative experience like?
Darwin Topz is actually part of my creative collective, called Chilzlife. There are 5 of us in total, and we all live in the same artist house together. So that means a lot of collaborations, and a lot of creativity happening at all times. Working with Darwin specifically though gave me an experience I've never had before. He recorded and played his verse for me, and I literally had to go back, delete my entire verse, and rewrite/record a new one. He just bodied the track so hard that I couldn't keep up. I was shocked, I've never had that happen. I have no shame in saying it either because it ultimately pushed me to a new level and resulted in a far better song than before!
What was the most challenging aspect of creating your 5-track EP 'Pretty Girl Gold'? Did you face any difficulties or roadblocks throughout your journey?
The most challenging aspect was actually finding myself in the correct mindset to write and record for this project. It's happy-go-lucky, and while that's very much who I am, the reality is that no person will ever only feel happy! I have off days, down days, sad days, etc. And on those days, I couldn't get into the mood and mentality needed for this project. It would've been disingenuous to the intent behind the project. So my biggest obstacle was actually taking time away from Pretty Girl Gold to ensure that I was happy, and maintaining my self and well-being. I have a big problem where if I don't work on something I start to feel guilty about it. So I had to overcome that for this project.
Does 'Pretty Girl Gold' mark a new beginning for your sound and style? Will you continue delivering this uplifting "happy rap" with your future tunes?
Pretty Girl Gold is the truest sound and style of music I have created so far. Previous to this, I was still experimenting and trying to discover my sound and niche. I created a song called "Coachella" off my Deluxe album, and that song was the stepping stone into this project. It felt genuine, true to myself as an artist and person, and sonically was the direction I wanted to move in. So I fed off that to create this project, and now have the full intent to continue developing and honing this style of "Happy Rap". My goal is to uplift and inspire my listeners while maintaining the depth of traditional Hip-Hop to pay homage to my predecessors.