On May 29th, viral online producer Shawn Wasabi released his newest album, Mangotale. Wasabi is infamous for his upbeat poppy singles, created on his now-infamous Midi Fighter 64. Mangotale is unlike anything he has created in the past. This album is a combination of Wasabi’s new and old singles. These songs melt together into an album that tells the kawaii love story of his “Mangotale” character.
Album Inspiration
Mangotale begins with “Princess Peach.” This track starts off the album with the classic upbeat cartoon-style beat that is the epitome of the Shawn Wasabi sound. “Princess Peach” begins the album on a bubbly positive tone that gives the feeling of being in the Super Mario World. Heading off onto the adventure of Mangotale. There is a constant theme of cartoon and video game-based sample tracks throughout this album. That gives you a whimsical feeling as a listener.
Videos games like Super Mario and Animal crossing are major inspirations for this album. From the melodic chorus and lyrics about playing Animal Crossing in “Halo Halo,” to the song “Animal Crossing.” The cartoon style of Shaun Wasbis music is what creates his unique sound. The song “Animal Crossing,” begins with a sample of Animalese, which is the speaking style of Animal Crossing characters. This track took the entire internet by storm in meme and internet culture, going viral on Tik-Tok.
“Lemons” is different from any other track of Manogtale. The lyrics are surprisingly different from Wasabi’s usually upbeat positive lyrics, or classic love song. With the lyrics, “I just think she’s kinda ugly, I’m not trying to be cruel.” Makes this song the most upbeat roast track you’ll ever hear. With most of the songs in Mangotale being about love and romance, “Lemons” represents the jealousy after the breakup.
Mangotale’s vibe is a tropical summer romance. His single “Mango Love,” made in 2018, is the epitome track and the biggest influence for creating this album. The mango love and summer island feelings transport the listener to the tranquil world Shawn Wasabi has created within his music. This summer love inspiration transitions into other tracks in the album like, “Home Run” and “Love Potion.”
The Adventure of Mangotale
Shawn Wasabi has created this masterpiece of an album that tells a story. Mangotale flows together and each track is great on its own. While certain songs like, “Snack That Smiles Back” and “Marble Tea” were created before this album’s release, Shawn perfectly orchestrated how each song flows into the next.
New, fresh tracks like “Igloo” marry the album into one harmonious creation. To truly understand the vibe of Mangotale it’s best to listen from start to finish. This is rare nowadays in the current music community, where each song is just a solo and not a piece of the orchestra. Mangotale is filled with passion and its listeners can clearly see the love and dedication Wasabi has put into this work of art. Listen below and get taken into Wasabi’s bright, colorful, and energetic world of enormous beats.
https://open.spotify.com/album/2Xk4f4SBqao4quex0MFLy3?si=hfrfQjT-TYyhY8_dD23B8A
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