Without any new music from Skrillex since 2019, he dropped six new singles starting in May. I thought that the singles would possibly lead into an EP, but none of the singles collectively added up to sound like a cohesive line of music. However, a second-studio album is in the works, according to social media teases.

Songs like “Butterflies” and “Supersonic” were what I looked to more when trying to evaluate all the music Skrillex released this year since I felt more connected to music he would have released a few years back. Not to say that songs like “In Da Getto” and “Too Bizarre” weren’t good, but the shift in music that Skrillex is producing has changed over the last decade immensely. Skrillex is so diverse in the music he produces, I realized that his switch from post-hardcore to dubstep was just as quick as to the music he puts out now. 

Throughout the six singles released since May of this year, it can be summed up to whoever wants to creatively experiment on tracks. No track hits the same genre, but most of the songs hit that signature strong bass and drums. 

“Butterflies” – 9/10

This first track back made it feel like Skrillex never took a break. The collaboration between Starrah and Four Tet, a DJ that Skrillex has known since playing a back-to-back set at Glastonbury festival in 2014, was an eccentric and heavy house-base go at a long-awaited comeback. “Butterflies” felt like even playing ground as Skrillex’s alien sounds mixed with Four Tet’s euphoric and downtempo music created an epic first official collaboration between the two. With heavy bass topping Starrah’s vocals, Four Tet’s chime sounds gravitate the song into a whole other genre that Skrillex has been playing with, especially following the end of 2019 with songs like Four Tet remix version of “Midnight Hour.”

Maybe I was so deprived of trap EDM that I thought Skrillex was going to drop a song that matches the energy of “Purple Lamborghini” or “Wild for the Night,” but Skrillex is so diverse and does not need to collaborate with more mainstream artists for his own music to come back strong.

“Too Bizarre” – 5/10

An okay song that was made better with some post-hardcore elements. With this song following “Butterflies,” it was a little too mellow for my taste in Skrillex’s music. It begins with Swae Lee singing…  Then Swae Lee gets cut off by Siickbrain hauling into screamed lyrics that I don’t mind, just feel out of place. The relatively short and upbeat song was a good collaboration, but not a stand-out among the other singles released.

It was exciting seeing Skrillex explore more of his roots in post-hardcore again, but I wish I saw that in a song without rap. The screaming from Siickbrain felt random and did not match Swae Lee’s laid-back vocals. 

“Supersonic” – 10/10

There is no doubt that this isn’t the best Skrillex collaboration this year. The song makes you feel like you are floating in space with the ghosted vocals and a variety of different noises. Keeping the vocals leveled and quieter makes the drop hit more powerful. This is definitely the type of song I was looking for Skrillex to release so I was disappointed that it wasn’t a longer song, but I liked hearing the progression of the production of Skrillex’s dubstep type of songs. Dubstep is one of those genres that feels stuck in the time period that it was created, but he managed to age the genre. 

A complete headbanger and I can’t even imagine how icy this would sound in person. Best song by far.

“In Da Getto” – 7/10

As Skrillex continues to shape up for a possible second album, the fourth single “In Da Getto” with J Balvin is a club-thumping and energetic summer song that doesn’t speak of much other than having a good time dancing and clubbing. The house sample of “In De Getto” from David Morales and the Bad Yard Club makes a heavy appearance throughout the song.

As one of J Balvin’s 11 singles released this year, the song delivers a typical performance from both artists. Looking at the music Skrillex will release in the future, I think this song is easily forgettable.

“En Mi Cuarto” – 5/10

Another forgettable song was my first thought when hearing this for the first time. The song was too relaxed for the scratchy vocals delivered by Jhay Cortez. I really like the synths and bass behind the lyrics where Cortez sings about feeling down without the girl he wants by his side as he sits in his room. Regarding Cortez’s performance, it took me a couple of days for his voice to grow on me. It’s definitely not a song I would listen to if it wasn’t produced by Skrillex.

“Don’t Go” – 9/10

After co-writing Justin Bieber’s song “2 Much” which was released in January, the pairing teamed up for one more song for the year. “Don’t Go” was a smooth R&B and pop song that shows how talented both Bieber and Skrillex are at producing music in any genre. Bieber raps and sings simple but catchy lyrics with Don Toliver coming in later in the song with his lower voice going back and forth with Bieber.

Skrillex always says that Bieber is one of the most hardworking artists that he has worked with and helps push him in his production, so I don’t think this will be the last collaboration we see between the two.

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