Rippaverse Anthem: Whitepilled

Music

On May 7th, Eric July’s band, BackWordz, posted an image on their X account that caused a stir of excitement online. Depicted below, one could not begin to fathom exactly what this craggy, golden-yellow terrain could be referencing. Then, on May 9th, July himself made a post that simply read:

“11pm. ”

Eric had made posts about the band making its comeback in April and earlier this month after the success of their first album, Veracity, back in 2017. So, it was no surprise to many that the image above was indeed referencing something to do with what the band was set to release. 

When the day dawned, at 11 pm CST on May 9th, the music video for “Whitepilled” dropped. And boy, it was not a disappointment. As someone who has been a fan of the metal genre since the tender age of thirteen, I genuinely loved it. Most people stereotype metal as rather depressing and/or emo, but more often, there are positive messages in the lyrics, and in this case, the title proclaims that loud and clear. The overall theme is about Eric July’s tenacity and entrepreneurial spirit in creating his ever-successful Rippaverse Comics, now with the addition of Rippasend. The vocals are powerful, both growling screams and clear, the guitars thrash, and the drums are a manifestation of the soul’s yearning to break free. (Thanks for that one, Alex!) One of the lines that particularly stuck out to me was, “One can be a realist and still have the fight left in him.” That, to me, is truly inspiring; you can be realistic but still have that drive and creativity to pursue your goals and not allow any inhibitions to hold you back. 

I’m aware.. it’s a, uphill battle but hence my attitude.

I’m prepared if I have to travel a destined avenue

Great. But don’t mistake this, patience for no foundation

I may be an optimist, but I know what we’re up against so shut it.

Hate it or love it. Oblivious to nothing

One can be a realist and still have the fight left in him.

So, if you’re a music fan, and even if metal is not typically your scene, I highly recommend giving this banger of a song a listen, particularly for the powerful lyrics, which, despite the style, can indeed relate to anyone. 

As Rippa often posts, remember to be great!