Alex O’Connor, a UK based indie singer-songwriter known by his fans as Rex Orange County, released his newest album, “WHO CARES?” on Friday, March 11. Following his last album, “Pony,” released in 2019, Rex Orange County continues to remain a musical sensation with 14 million monthly listeners on Spotify. The album is quick, with 11 songs and that add up to a little over 30 minutes. 

In “WHO CARES,” Rex Orange County addresses overcoming your fears, the feeling of uncertainty, and falling in love throughout the songs. This album has also become more pop-influenced compared to previous albums. It’s really easy to listen to because of its simplicity. The words are easy to understand and most of the songs provoke the same kind of heartfelt emotion. 

“KEEP IT UP” was the first single released from the album, which gained over 16 million streams on Spotify. The phrase, “keep it up and go on,” repeats throughout the song, giving it a motivating and helpful tone. In the song, Rex Orange County encourages listeners to keep going in the face of darkness in order to find the light at the end of the tunnel. “AMAZING,” one of the three singles, is no doubt one of the best tracks on the album. It has almost a lovey-dovey feel with the lyrics: “Don’t change a thing, you are amazing.” The entirety of the song makes you want to scream the lyrics in the shower or in your bed late at night.

“OPEN A WINDOW,” features Tyler, the Creator. The two first worked together on Tyler, the Creator’s album, “Flower Boy,” back in 2017.  “OPEN A WINDOW” starts off with a peaceful orchestra ballad, which then moves into a tune with a more bedroom pop vibe. Tyler, the Creator jumps in with his rapping skills, but they didn’t really fit the theme of the song. The addition of Tyler, the Creator was very unnecessary — “OPEN A WINDOW” would have been much better without his feature. 

The album’s middle tracks, however, are less memorable. “ONE IN A MILLION” has an almost similar tune to his previous songs and “IF YOU WANT IT” sounds like something you would hear while walking to H&M. While these tracks are less unforgettable than the other, the songs are unlike any song Rex Orange County has ever made. With the different engineering techniques used in these songs, it provides a new depth to this artist and a more broader range of talents. 

The last track of every album can make or break the album’s reputation because it makes the listeners feel satisfied with the time they spent listening so far. This song, however, didn’t bolster that reputation. The song was basic, and not the outro listeners were hoping for, ending the album without a real conclusion. 

The album reflects on the ending of a relationship and the beginning of a new one. It is consistent throughout, which can sometimes be bad in such a way that listeners will be tired of the same rhythm of the music, but in Rex Orange County’s case, it didn’t feel repetitive. Each song had a different mood to it while still sounding similar, allowing the listener to play the entire album without getting bored of the rhythm. 

“WHO CARES?” is now streaming on Spotify and Apple Music.