U

underscores has always been fascinated by the intersections of genres. On 2023’s <i>Wallsocket</i>, the songwriter also known as April Harper Grey searched relentlessly for a middle ground between pop, folk, rock and internet-dwelling genres such as hyperpop, digicore and dariacore. It’s no wonder Grey refers to the deluxe version of that album as a “Director’s Cut”. The way she assembles scenes in a montage style is as much a cinematic process as it is a musical one. On 2026’s <i>U</i>, the boundary-pushing experimentation is still apparent, though it takes a backseat to the cathartic, adrenaline-heavy rush of pure EDM and computer music. Opener “Tell Me (U Want It)” sounds like a PC Music cover of a Katy Perry hit, while the aptly titled second track “Music” features production that imagines a Skrillex interpretation of a Timbaland beat. Everything on <i>U</i> signals to something else but emerges from underscores as its own entity, a previously non-existent idea.