Review: "Crank 2"
by Ruby Tavano
Invert it all.
Earlier this year, Slayyyter released her third studio album, WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA, a record that didn’t just turn heads—it positioned her as a definitive force in pop, taking the princess out of the genre and replacing her with something louder, messier and far more interesting.
After years of making music, WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA felt like Slayyyter at her most fully realized. Ironically, it was almost her last. When the album arrived, she intended it to be a farewell to this chapter of her life. But then it hit—and it hit hard.
The record is loud, wild and unapologetically self-aware, with Slayyyter presenting what feels like the truest version of herself yet. Its visual world is just as distinct: trashy Americana, smudged mascara, showgirls and faded glamour collide in an aesthetic that feels both familiar and completely her own. As a visual album, WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA doesn't just give listeners a collection of songs; it builds an entire universe around them.
And now, rather than walking away from music, Slayyyter is flipping that universe on its head.
Welcome to WOR$T MAN IN AMERICA.
The project reimagines songs from WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA from the other side, creating direct responses to the stories, emotions and characters that shaped the original record. So far, Slayyyter has released two tracks from this inverted world: “brand new chanel$,” the song that pushed her onto the charts, and this past week’s “crank 2.” Other tracks have already been teased and performed on tour, offering glimpses at how far she plans to take the concept.
These aren't simply sequels. They're rebuttals.
Both released tracks draw connections to an ex Slayyyter has discussed in interviews, with reports surrounding the album's release revealing that she learned of his infidelity just before WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA debuted. Where the original songs captured one side of that relationship, their inversions answer back with the benefit of hindsight—and, perhaps more importantly, success.
“crank 2” makes that shift especially clear. The now-signature command of “CRANK IT” remains, but this time Slayyyter turns the volume up on herself while cutting her subject down to size. “I’m making money now, you running out of cash,” she boasts, before landing another blow: “You see me blowing up, I’m on your television.”
Of course, it wouldn’t be a true Slayyyter release without a visual to match. Directed by Slayyyter herself, the “Crank 2” music video brings the track’s inverted world to life. Playing as a direct inverse of the original “CRANK” video, the visual trades its predecessor’s aesthetic for a team of backup dancers and a stark, entirely black-and-white palette. It’s another layer in the reversal: familiar enough to recognize, but flipped into something entirely new.
It’s petty. It’s triumphant. It’s exactly the kind of high you want to ride after someone cheats on you.
She is, quite literally, “crank(ing) it to the max.”
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