A$AP Rocky is – finally – ready to launch his new album, ‘Don’t Be Dumb’, which goes on sale on January 16, and it seems that the interesting design of its physical edition will resemble, in concept, that of ‘Yeezus’ (2013) by Kanye West.
According to the Apple Music and Spotify tracklist, none of the singles released by Rocky in recent times will be part of the album, nor ‘Tailor Swif’ despite the fact that its video clip was one of the best of 2024; nor ‘HIGHJACK’, which contained the unexpected collaboration of Jessica Pratt.
In reality, Rocky has decided to wipe the slate clean and his new song serves as the lead single for this project. Curiously, ‘Punk Rocky’ – today’s Song of the Day – is one of his compositions least anchored in rap, as it does not have even a hint of this style, but instead gives itself fully to – as its title itself suggests – electric guitars, betting on the psychedelic textures indebted to the first Tame Impala or the current Yves Tumor.
The message that Rocky conveys in ‘Punk Rocky’ is that “I want to fall in love, I don’t want to have a broken heart,” while the music video chooses humor. The clip, co-directed by Rocky, Folkert Verdoorn and Simon Becks, features the stellar participation of Winona Ryder, just when ‘Stranger Things’ has come to an end by airing its last episode.
Ryder plays a gossipy neighbor in the ‘Punk Rocky’ video, wearing red glasses that scream “2009” all over them, while Rocky messes around in the garage of his house and ends up being arrested. Another notable cameo in the video is that of model Brooks Ginnan, who recently appeared in Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Tears’ video.
But we do not forget: above all we must highlight, in the ‘Punk Rocky’ clip, the appearance of Danny Elfman playing the drums. Elfman is the composer of the soundtracks for numerous Tim Burton films, and Burton has precisely designed the cover of ‘Don’t Be Dumb’. There is no need to explain Winona Ryder’s involvement in this entire universe.
