Aries is back with “BELIEVE IN ME, WHO BELIEVES IN YOU,” his second studio album encompassing a familiar hip-hop and rap sound.

Rising from his fame from YouTube, Aries began producing his own music late in 2012 after much experience in freestyle rapping. He drew inspiration from several kinds of rock music and melodies he grew up listening to.

Much of the album he just released carries a similar beat and production sound throughout the entirety of the record. While the album lacks each song being truly distinct from one another, the lyrics help to make each one slightly unique.

Beginning with “BOUNTY HUNTER,” this song introduces the beat that remains consistent for the whole album. The song is directed at someone that Aries cares for and aims to boost his own character for him or her.

The song that follows, “FOOLS GOLD,” has almost an exact lyrical meaning. However, “RIDING” focuses more on his relationship with a girl and how he has no regard for what others think of it, despite anything about her. This song once again has a beat akin to the previous two songs, but it does pick up around the first verse.

“ETA” takes a darker turn as it hints at someone close to Aries who passed away tragically. While the instrumentals are not any different, this remains one of the more lyrically meaningful songs on the album.

“ONE PUNCH” introduces a guitar riff in the background as the song begins and maintains a catchy melody. “EASY” is a bit slower than the previous songs and doesn’t place excessive emphasis on the heavy beat in the background like the others did.

“KIDS ON MOLLY,” the most upbeat and interesting song on the album, is the most unique song in that its instrumentals are more of a reminder of an indie rock song rather than a hip-hop song. Mixing up the instrumentals keeps a listener more interested to hear what the rest of the album will bring.

“HOW RUDE” also begins with a unique guitar sound. It quickly reintroduces the typical beat the majority of the songs contain. “DITTO” stands out in that the background beat is much softer, with “DESPERADO” following it with lyrics revolving around his parents.

The last two songs “OUTDATED” and “WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT” are much slower, with the latter revolving about his journey of maturing into someone who values family. The album ends on an underwhelming note and lacks a strong finish.

Overall, the album makes for great background music at some event that calls for sufficient pop music to play. However, no song besides “ETA” exceptionally stands out lyrically in presenting any emotional or heavy stories or statements.

The instrumentals are all the same for the majority of the album, which audiences could prefer depending on one’s music taste. For someone looking for much more variety lyrically and instrumentally, this album likely is not for them.

The lyrics were difficult to decipher in terms of their meaning. This could either be because they simply do not carry much meaning at all, or Aries’ methodology behind his lyrics is incredibly dense and difficult for the average person to understand.

For someone looking for a decent hip-hop or pop album to throw on in the background or to casually listen to, “BELIEVE IN ME, WHO BELIEVES IN YOU” may be the right choice.

Rating: 5/10

Reviewer’s Favorite Track: “KIDS ON MOLLY”

Reviewer’s Least Favorite: “EASY”

Madison Imber is a second-year majoring in public relations. To contact her, email mbi5065@psu.edu.