Who Cares? by Rex Orange County

The cheeriest sad-boi is back for his quarter album of self-deprecating lyrics.

By: Gracie Kibort

The rebound of Alexander James O’Connor, better known as his stage name ‘Rex Orange County,’ has been a long time coming. O’Connor, the indie heartthrob, has had a chokehold of angsty Gen-Z listeners since his first album, “Bcos U Will Never B Free,” in 2016. He captured the hearts and ears of millions in 2017 with the hit “Loving is Easy,” otherwise known as the transcendent summer bop. If you’re unsure, just ask bedroom pop music lovers on campus who’ve been vibing to his latest album, “Who Cares?” since it dropped while rocking cuffed corduroys and tote bags. 

O’Connor is your typical, indie, sad boy-next-door, suffocating from the self-actualization resulting from a breakup he never projected. However, the differentiation between O’Connor and his fellow indie sad boys is his spin on his own melancholy. His beats appear happy, filled with plenty of dramatics and his notorious strings. Nonetheless, O’Connor’s lyrics represent a period of turmoil, heartache, and existential dread, which long-time listeners are familiar with. (Dare I say…Rexheads?) He depicts his agony in self-deprecating lyrics disguised in just under 35 minutes of head-bopping, dorm-dancing, screaming-in-the-car-with-the-windows-down tunes. O’Connor clings to a catchy melody to cloak his misery. It is the quintessential post-breakup, breakup album that everyone craves as cuffing season wraps up. In my humble opinion, “Who Cares?” is no Apricot Princess, but regardless, I will continue to simultaneously bop and wipe my tears with my sleeve.