Ethan Hardgrave
Ethan Hardgrave
While many musicians have bound themselves to a single genre, production savant Y2K has broken this stigma. Alongside hybrid pop-punk hip-hop artist Smrtdeth, Y2K has sporadically released music under the band name Ballroom. Y2K is generally known for his production for artists such as Doja Cat, bbno$, and Yung Gravy, but this deviation from his normal sound puts his versatility on full display.
Y2K first connected with Smrtdeth through lil aaron, who frequently utilized Y2K’s unique production to propel himself through the niche genre of pop-punk hip-hop. Smrtdeth and lil aaron were frequent collaborators, having formed a group with Lil Lotus called Boyfriendz in 2016, developing a cult-like following with Y2K as a key contributor to their success.
Y2K garnered major attention across the globe after many of his tracks dominated TikTok for months after their release. Specifically, Y2K found a niche with artists like bbno$ and Yung Gravy, both of which have gained massive followings from TikTok popularity. Alongside this success, however, was this passion project with Smrtdeth; Ballroom.
Their first track “Save My Life” really shows Y2K’s diversity within production and sound engineering. The heartfelt lyrics by Smrtdeth alongside the echoey instrumental provided by Y2K combine in such a way that you are left completely enamored by their synergy. This song reminded me of long drives across California, watching the sun and water paint the sky as it sets to the West. The level of passion for this project is reflected in a tweet issued by Y2K in 2019 where he announces the release of their first project under Ballroom.
While the time between releases may be extensive, Ballroom’s music justifies the long wait. Rekindling indie rock sounds that were popular from the early to mid-2010s, Ballroom returns to an alternatively driven sound. Ballroom’s lyricism and sound engineering are reminiscent of bands like Title Fight, Turnover, or Beach Fossils, transporting fans back to times when these bands dominated the alternative scene.
Despite a hiatus in 2021, Ballroom released a song earlier this year titled “Control”. Marketing for the group seems to be rather subdued. Besides the occasional tweet or Instagram promotion, it is difficult to trace Y2K or Smrtdeth back to Ballroom unless you are already a dedicated fan. Y2K will also use the name Ari Starace when producing much of this music, making it difficult to detect from the surface that it is him.
The mystery continues with Ballroom’s use of visuals. The cover art of “Save My Life” depicts Y2K and Smrtdeth in a grassy plain, backs faced towards a camera. This captivating and mysterious image perfectly encapsulates their personality as a duo. There is a dominant nature theme throughout the art of most of their releases. It makes me think that this is a “return to the roots” of Y2K, showing once again his ability to break the stigma and develop in multiple genres simultaneously.
Maintaining the theme of mystery, it is unknown when Ballroom is expected to release again. Y2K has been very active as of late, working with the rock group Polyphia to release the song “ABC” featuring Sophia Black. For fans of Ballroom, seeing Y2K work with a group like Polyphia is a huge indication that more Ballroom releases are to come. His ability to produce and engineer around bands has already propelled him as a multi-genre artist, so it is only a matter of time before he feels the calling to release more Ballroom songs.
Y2K has blazed a trail forward as a multi-genre artist. Even his best-kept secret, Ballroom, has found itself with a small, strong following. Fans are eager for more, and more is to come.