underscores Expands Her Sound on “Unlimited Love” and “The Peace”
- Daniel Corretjer Rios
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Daniel Corretjer Rios
Writer
September 4, 2026
There are artists that build a following, and artists who build a world. Underscores, or April Harper Grey, has always been the latter. Her 2021 record Fishmonger established her as one of the most prominent faces in underground hyperpop, but it was Wall Socket that really began to show the full scope of what underscores was capable of, giving hyperpop an album they’d cherish for years. On Wall Socket she produced an unsettling yet beautiful indietronica record that demonstrated how experimental April’s production could get. The deluxe edition even gave early glimpses of where she was heading, with “Stupid (Can’t run from the urge)” carrying the electro pop DNA that would define what came next. April never quite got as much recognition from these two records, but her ambition was there, laying out the foundation for what was to come.
Then came U, and everything flipped. A short, dizzyingly impactful pop-electronic album that pulled the spirit of the SOPHIE era into the present and brought that sound back to life. Although experimental, it was her most accessible record to date. It was emotionally raw without the dark, unsettling writing that Wall Socket was crafted with. Not to mention, U was produced with a level of detail and texture that put it in a category almost entirely its own. Underscores has always has a very small, tight knit audience, but this was the album that put her on the map. And it was no coincidence that Charli XCX, who is no stranger to pushing experimental pop to its limits, picked underscores to open for her Music, Fashion, Film Tour. U was her true breakout, and for many listeners, it was the album of the year.
Which makes new material feel like an event.
“Unlimited Love” opens in a state of deliberate disorientation. Its introduction contains an ecstatically pounding bass, a distorted whip, and chopped-up robotic vocals that sound more like a warning rather than a welcome. The first minute leaves listeners concerned, confused, but completely incapable of looking away. Then, without any warning whatsoever, the song resolves. A smooth guitar riff slides in, the vocals lose their robotic feel and become genuinely beautiful, and the exact same bass and whip that felt threatening 30 seconds ago now feel like something you must dance to. Barely has anything in the production changed, but somehow, everything feels so different. It’s like a magician’s sleight of hand, and underscores pulls it off effortlessly. Snippets of strings arrive, the textures are growing exponentially, and by the time the EDM drop lands, it doesn’t just feel earned but inevitable. When the disorienting intro returns at the end, it no longer feels unsettling. Now with the full context of the song, the off-putting nature of the production completes the song. It fully embraces the chaos instead of just simply resolving it.
“The Peace” was already one of the standout tracks on U. It was distinct from everything around it primarily because of its restraint. No hard-hitting drums, claps, just underscores singing over her own chopped-up harmonics. So simple, and so pure. The Frost Children remix takes that fragility and rebuilds it from the ground up. Those same chopped vocals remain, but now they’re part of something grand. A pounding bass, and rhythmic momentum that transforms the song into something fully its own. The synth work is legendary and cinematic, and the dubstep influenced drops hit with such force. Frost Children didn’t simply add to the original. They made it their own. They interpreted it, filtered it through their own identity, and delivered something that honors “The Peace” while standing completely apart from it.
Two songs. Both wonderfully crafted. For a fanbase that has been riding with underscores since the underground hyperpop days, they serve as a reminder of just how far April Harper Grey has come. And for everyone who found her through U, they are proof that she’ll keep reinventing her craft, and that the best has yet to come.
Edited by: Jade Read
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