The songs of midwest feel like beacons in a tempest. The Indiana artist developed his chameleonic style in the pandemic- era hyperpop scene, emphasizing sincerity and transparency in songs like his grungy hit “Trying.” Whether he is rapping over rage beats or penning sweet ballads, midwest aims to provide listeners a path forward through relationships, identity formation and the internet. His upcoming album E3 showcases his imagination and world-building-it’s his most immersive and conceptual experience yet.

The key to the world of midwxst is his scrappiness. He’s understood from the jump that there’s no rulebook to great art. He learned how to make music through talking on Discord with other teenagers during COVID. And despite being in rooms with artists like Denzel Curry and Babytron he continues to keep that spirit alive. For his 2022 project better luck next time, recorded in a deep depression after a breakup in his first semester of college, midwst turned to his new classmates for help on the closing track “ON MY MIND.” “Those are five of my college friends on that song in my dorm room, singing with me because I asked them to,” he says. “I don’t have a choir budget, so l’m gonna ask all my friends who make music on campus to come and sing for me in different tones.”