‘CHAOTIC EROTICA EP’ by Bentley Robles | Album Review
Robles returns with a fizzy blend of dance-pop as he shakes off jealousy, envy, and heartbreak on his latest EP.
My first introduction to Bentley Robles’s brand of electro-pop came with his debut EP, Ugly Crier. Since teaming up with fellow LGBTQIA+ pop singer/songwriter Zee Machine, Robles has continued to step up his game. Singles like “Anyone But Him” and his cover of “Mama Mia!” with Lagoona Bloo display a deeper cohesion between his persona and effervescent soundscapes. After touring alongside fellow LGBTQIA+ pop artist Zee Machine, you can hear a growth in his sound. CHAOTIC EROTICA channels the power pop he was exposed to while mixing in a healthy dose of dance-pop for good measure. Through these soundscapes, we break free from heartbreak and stagnation to indulge in our desires without fear.
“PROLOGUE” opens with a growing energy stretching out like taffy over Roble’s autotuned vocal harmonies. Bentley embraces the numbness that washes over him after being crippled by heartbreak, “I dug out the tear ducts/ That used to live inside my eyes/ Wish I could be sorry/ But all of my teeth turned to knives/ Do you wanna know/ What It feels like to burn?/ Melt down your emotions/ Until they don′t hurt/ Tragic to think/ I used to be one of those guys.” The swelling wall of sound that catches up with his vocals marks the change in emotion he now feels about an ex who once had him on his knees begging for him to return.
Bentley rips loose with the sizzling speed behind his impulse to inhale the toxic physical attention from a bad partner in “HYPER HEARTBREAK.” My favorite part of the song is how producer FLORIO blends the hyper-pop with dark, pulsing beats with the glowing, polished synths in the song’s chorus. In this chaos, Robles seems to thrive, enjoying the peak of emotions that lust and anger flood him with: “Ouch!/ Hit me hard make a fist with your words/ Cut my up make it last need the burn/ Haven’t you heard that/ I like to cry?/ NGL need to change up to chain up all my cells/ A chaotic kinda hell and i′m causing it myself/ I know what I need to do/ I need a hole in me that looks like you.” We’re now caught in a violent dance of lust and angst keeps witling away at his self-esteem.
Bentley dives much deeper into hyper-pop territories with the chaotic momentum that carries “COBRA.” Hubby’s production gives a racing heartbeat underneath the plastic synths that ricochet around Robles vocals. The sexual pull of this pernicious straight-acting man is a force that he digs his feet into the earth to keep from being drawn back into, “Look at you, you’re such a good actor/ Pretty like a snake biting down on me now… I finally see you, yeah, it′s so amazing/ See through all the statements that you′ve been making/ Pro liar, a veteran, a nightmare in a thrifted letterman/ Ahhh, I’m bad bad yeah it gets me off/ Go fast fast run you off my lawn/ Look at all the chaos you′ve caused.” While I enjoy its rubbery hyper-pop breakdown, I feel like it doesn’t pack the same punch that other songs hit you with sonically.
Robles celebrates the lustful longing we get from our favorite celebrity crush in “HIGH DEFINITION LOVER.” His ecstatic, sensuous vocals bounce across the chunky synths and rubbery beats in a way that makes you want to break a sweat. Bentley revealed to Notion how a fictional fantasy was the catalyst for the song’s themes:
“Have you ever wished your fav fictional crush was real? That the leading man or woman in a movie could jump out of the screen and be with you? Well, I have & ‘HIGH DEFINITION LOVER’ is about that fantasy” — Bentley Robles via Notion (2024)
He practically drips with desire speaking of the arousing thoughts this figure brings to his mind, “High definition lover/ My world’s in technicolor/ Can’t get my head out of the gutter when I’m with you/ Hi, I definitely want you/ High definition lover/ I’m such a fanboy, I’m such a boy fan/ Bookmark the photos, make the fan cam/ HDD, just for me/ Gimme that HDD like a VIP.” Robles walks the line between campy sexuality and “come hither” sensuality nicely, making the song feel vibrant while teasing its listener to indulge in their fantasies.
“TANTRUM” is ready to throw a fit over life’s inability to bring him the success he desperately wants. Lady Gaga’s “Stupid Love” was a key inspiration as its neon synth pulse and momentous beats are borrowed to give a feverish speed to Bentley’s emotions. His bratty sense of entitlement pokes fun at all those who believe they should have success handed to him, as well as releases some tension from the constant grind to make it in the music business without much payoff: “Why ain’t I famous yet?/ God, can somebody explain/ Why my life hasn’t changed?/ Not what I saw for myself/ If I don’t get everything I wanted yet/ Yeah, I’ma throw a tantrum (Tantrum)/ I’ma kick and scream/ Until Hollywood is calling me.”
I do wish Robles and FLORIO gave more of their flavors to the backing Gaga sample. The use of the instrumental keeps the original song in mind throughout, which I think detracts from the experience he’s trying to display.
The final and titular track, “CHAOTIC EROTICA,” melts together all the electro-pop textures that have graced this project into one sexy, euphoric eruption. What makes the song so much fun comes in the campy moments. I love the commanding disco beat and sultry spoken lines. Bentley can’t seem to fight the many carnal desires invading his better judgment when he’s around this man, “Oh hot damn it’s so fucking crazy/ Pornographic thoughts of us daily/ When′s the last time you felt like this baby?/ I want bruises on my knees — please/ Playgirl magazine — dreams/ Put your hands on me/ Sweat from body heat/ Chained to the rhythm/ To the rush/ Of this red hot.” This playful, flamboyant display works nicely with Robles’s sexual energy and soaring vocals.
Bentley sounds more in control sonically on this EP. I love how energetic and full each song sounds. The album’s central themes of heartbreak, lust, and bitterness seep out of songs like “HYPER HEARTBREAK,” “HIGH DEFINITION LOVER,” & “CHAOTIC EROTICA.” I wish the Lady Gaga instrumental behind “TANTRUM” was more remixed and rearranged to display Bentley’s creative force and need for validation. The only song that didn’t connect with me was “COBRA,” whose production could use just a little more of a punch to bring out the anguish he feels after being led on by a lying, toxic ex. Still, CHAOTIC EROTICA continues a trajectory in the right direction for Bentley. His love of dance-pop and queer themes brings him closer and closer to what I feel is his true sound and style.
My overall thoughts on the CHAOTIC EROTICA EP:
Loved it: “PROLOGUE,” “HYPER HEARTBREAK,” “HIGH DEFINITION LOVER,” & “CHAOTIC EROTICA”
Liked it: “TANTRUM”
Disliked it: “COBRA”
My overall rating: 7.5 out of 10.
Sources:
All lyrics are the property of Bentley Robles and co-writers. To view them in full, go to Genius.
