Stars: 3/5
Youtuber Noel Miller is taking a break from his comedic rap songs by releasing a more serious EP titled “Push.” The EP came out in October, and it is clear that Miller is taking a turn in his music career.
Miller is most notably known as a Youtube comedian, but this isn’t the first time he’s released music. He makes up one half of the duo known as “Tiny Meat Gang.” Miller and fellow Youtuber and friend Cody Ko make up this group. Although their content is more for laughs, the group has had a few top-charting songs. Tiny Meat Gang may have started for fun, but Miller and Ko have gained popularity for their work together. Tiny Meat Gang tours includes shows with comedy acts and performances of their songs.
Even if their content is made to be comedic, it’s clear that both Miller and Ko have music-making talent. Miller is taking this talent and is stepping out from Tiny Meat Gang with a five-song EP that’s all his own. Going by the name NOEL, Miller’s new work shows that we may need to take this funny guy a little bit more seriously.
I am a big fan of Miller and his work with Tiny Meat Gang. I’ve always said that although it’s a comedy rap group, it’s undeniable that they have talent. Their songs are actually really good, and their rhymes are very clever. I’ve thought that Miller’s voice has always sounded tough and serious, which made me think that he’d be a good rap artist if he wanted to. In this EP, he did just that.
One thing that surprised me was that Miller did not do much to hype up this release. He tweeted that he would be releasing an EP and posted a video on Instagram saying that he’d be releasing the EP along with a music video, but other than that there wasn’t much else Miller had to say on social media about the drop.
My only complaint is that most of the EP sounds the same. The songs mostly start out with the same instrumental then pick up with a beat, and Miller sounds a little bit monotone. I really like Miller’s voice, but I wish I heard a little bit more variation on this EP. With that being said, there were a few songs that stood out among the similarities. “Sunbeam” and “Bus Back” have more of a flow and sound different from the other songs.
I think this EP shows that Miller has the potential to be a serious rapper. Although I like Tiny Meat Gang’s work more than this EP, I think Miller has a real talent when it comes to making music and rapping. This EP shows Miller’s confidence and struggles with fame, and is overall very solid, but it left me wanting more. Tiny Meat Gang’s songs are real bangers from the first listen, but I think I would have to listen to this EP multiple times before it began to stick in my head. With only five songs, I feel like this EP showed Miller’s potential, but didn’t fulfill it. I’m excited to see Miller grow into a serious artist if that’s the direction he chooses to go musically.
