Ghetto Cupid

Did You Know?

• "Dead Girl" contains a sample of "Sextape" by Deftones.
• "Misery" contains a sample of "Undone – The Sweater Song" by Weezer.

Background and recording

Jaydes released his third EP, Heartpacing, in August 2022, which later gained significant traction online. He began work on his debut studio album following a string of single releases. The album was originally titled Magenta, but the concept and cover were changed because Jaydes no longer felt connected to his original vision. The first single, "Undercover", was released on January 21, 2023, as a standalone single on SoundCloud, followed by the second single "Kesha K" on April 13, 2023. In late 2023, the opening track "Rose" went viral on TikTok.

Composition

Critics have called Ghetto Cupid a blend of plugg and shoegaze. Pitchfork's Alphonse Pierre noted Jaydes is a decent writer whose lyrics mostly touch on his mood, and that the album's appeal comes from applying sentimental sing-rapping typical of GothBoiClique-style beats. The 33-minute, 17-track project was mostly produced by Jaydes with help from other producers, and marks his move to making music with guitars. Pierre pointed out that Jaydes flips Weezer on "Misery" and wants listeners to know his influences go beyond rap.

Critical reception

Alphonse Pierre of Pitchfork gave the album a score of 7.5 out of 10, describing it as pulling together disparate strands from plugg to shoegaze and emo, and stating that it is "messy, but works more often than not." He compared it to My Bloody Valentine and Lucki, and said the hodgepodge should be corny but is not because Jaydes is so earnest about it. Matthew Strauss felt the project was a follow-up to Heartpacing and was more expansive.