“The Two of Us” Mixtape Review
The media first discovered the powerhouse duo ChloexHalle from their cover songs on YouTube. As the years progressed the duo began creating original music that caught the attention of a primarily Black alternative audience because it’s rare to see such talent dominate a category that seems unlikely for Black artists. With their first EP, titled “Sugar Symphony ”, the duo began to create their own lane of music with unique production and lyricism. Since the beginning Chloe has been the main producer, while Halle includes her instruments such as the guitar or the electronic keyboard. The group uses physical sounds like the clapping of their hands or incorporates a mix of techno and hip-hop beats into their music, which helped them obtain that originality.
ChloexHalle released their first mixtape titled “The Two of Us” ‘, which gave audiences an insight into their personalities, vocal range, and diverse musical styles. Both Chloe and Halle’s voices individually shine bright throughout the mixtape where Chloe’s voice creates the bass notes needed, while Halle’s voice creates the serenity with her ability to reach soprano ranges. With this mixtape only incorporating songs no longer than two minutes and fifty seconds we can witness the depths of the duo’s creativity. Each song has you craving more, while also giving you the space to imagine what the rest may sound like. The production tightly knits together the entire mixtape with the use of instruments and layered beats. The vocals incorporated in the background provide a whimsical attribute to the mixtape, which in turn places this project in the coming-of-age category.
Chloe was 19 years old, while Halle was 17 years old during the creation of this mixtape. The themes in this artwork, such as freedom, partnership, regrets, and criticism all align with their adolescence. Adolescence allows an individual to discover their creativity, personality, and morality, which Chloe and Halle navigate throughout this project. In songs such as “Simple,” the duo states “People telling us “Your stuffs too complex for the average ear to get it\Maybe you should just be simple\ Huh? That doesn’t make any sense” to recognize the hate outsiders give them for their unique production and lyricism. “Mistake” details the theme of regrets and how permanent mistakes can be. The song also creates a space to remind young listeners to give themselves grace because those mistakes quickly disappear as time goes on. Other songs, such as “Tra Ta Ta” explore the stage of freedom all adolescents crave during that age period with the use of imaginative lyricism. Halle begins the song with what-if scenarios like the imagery of being birds whose spiritual meaning is freedom and new beginnings. “Worries” tackles the theme of anxiety by implying the message of singing away all the worries with the line “And sing ah – way all the worries.” While the song “Partna” speaks about craving a romantic relationship, which is on par with the adolescents’ need to experience love.
These themes are the foundations of adolescence, which is why ChloexHalle was able to create such a relatable album for their young listeners. Some criticize this mixtape by detailing how short the songs were or how complicated the lyrics may be. Others in the Black community on social media criticize the project by stating that the duo creates music for white people. As mentioned before, most Black artists do not create alternative music because it is perceived as “white music,” so some shy away from the category. I believe the duo created a space for young alternative girls, especially alternative Black girls, to navigate their adolescence without a box being placed upon them. With the whimsical elements in the production and profound lyrics, ChloexHalle created a timeless mixtape for those coming of age.
