BLOG 3 - BROOKE CANDY- candyland REVIEW - BROOKE CANDY’S “CIRCUS”
While many may find Brooke Candy’s art abject, she weaves a tapestry of triggers which help us understand ourselves.
It is desensitizing in a good way. “CANDYLAND” is smutty alchemy and it is a delicious, luscious, indulgence. It wakes the creatures of the night who deep down are good, but wrestle with the void. It eviscerates critique like the vampire brainchild of Bart Simpson and Morticia Adams. Its so obvious in its irony that the message is that we are not garbage. Her approach would suggest that we can look at our lives, and yes, our sex lives, as something to enjoy and not be ashamed of. It creates a playful place where consent is well understood. There is also this humor/horror interplay, where what we truly value is hidden in a dirty package. You can tell here that Brooke cares. She is in full sun here, we are getting a wicked house tour of the freaky princess. This is the thing- if you don’t get her you don’t get her, but those that do realize how smart she is and she must surround herself with the best people, as her team really helps her shine. This music is cathartic for people who have OCD fears, sexual trauma and triggers. This music is ironic and by the reductive process of say, a loving partner to “ATM (Ass Ti**ies Money)” she is almost begging you to imagine how delicate-. Her music demonstrates just how intricate and nuanced love really can be. As bombastic as this album is, I feel it is actually really private and Brooke may have had a hard time shedding the layers she sheds in this music. In “Respectfully”, she is politely asking people I fear that are like me to be cynical of their own motives and not shatter the fun that is ever present in “CANDYLAND”.
In the music video for “Block”, there is a mote of light that floats around her. This fluttering butterfly harkens so many things, including sprites, motes, fairies, or divine addition. Special effects have made it so far that their specific use is now fully fleshed out as a medium, and the specificity of this light really sells the magic that Brooke Candy offers psychology and precise art. The styling, set design, and makeup in this video as well are phenomenal, complimenting Brooke’s sultry donut and coffee-esque rasp. ~Wondering when Brooke will join in the Resident Evil franchise~ This album really adds some meat to the bone of the construct that is the image of Brooke Candy.
I can’t talk about this album without talking about the cover art. Brooke’s body is replaced with pieces of candy, and this shouldn’t be pried apart from the famous artwork “‘Untitled’ Portrait of Ross in L.A.” Where the weight of an average person is displayed in a pile of candy which gets smaller as people take a piece, an art tribute to Ross Laycock who died of AIDS complications. Read more about this art piece here. This may be an area of discourse, but ultimately I think the idea that we should cherish life and share pieces of our heart with everyone we can. When I was a kid, at the synagogue, all the ladies would throw candy and “fruit slices” on the deep teal carpet while the kids scrambled to pick it up. After CANDYLAND, I don’t know how my dentist feels, but I’d trust Brooke Candy with the lemonade. I give this album 4 of Wands out of The Star.
