Ravyn Lenae could be preparing her third studio album. The author of the magnificent ‘Bird’s Eye’ has made a double release for Easter, shortly after reaching one billion views on the successful ‘Love Me Not’. ‘Bobby’ is an enjoyable throwback to 2000s romantic pop, but ‘Reputation’ is the song that’s getting all the attention, rightly so. It’s the Song of the Day.
The first time Lenae showed the song to the public was during her Lollapalooza aftershow, in the form of an acoustic and minimalist version. In its studio version, ‘Reputation’ follows this same line, with the guitar being the main element of the song, along with some key arrangements. This begins with Dominic Fike, who has just achieved a tremendous viral hit with ‘Babydoll’, swearing to be “loyal as a dog.”
Lenae avoids going overly cloying thanks to the contrast between the sweet melody that runs through the song and lyrics that are not intended to romanticize unconditional love. As Fike swears allegiance, Lenae shatters the illusion in the chorus: “You look so good when you lie / I don’t know, maybe I’m in denial / I don’t want to change your reputation by thinking about you,” she sings, still with some doubt in mind.
In the following verses, Fike makes it clear that he is another character, presenting himself to everyone as a “polygamist.” Now, her “reputation” is already in tatters: “I guess I’m the kind of girl who wastes time / But I know it keeps you up at night / Now you hate your reputation when I think about you,” she concludes.
