On “Bully,” Seattle musician TeZATalks addresses oppressors everywhere, taking a stand against that person that just won’t leave you alone. With mighty vocals, badass explicit lyrics, and punching electric guitars, Teza creates a powerful diss track with the anger of a Riot Grrrl punk song (if we had to, we’d call Teza electronic punk, but she really defies genre). No fear, though, if you’re not ready to take a stand for yourself: With the lyrical genius of lines like, “Do you hate yourself so much we can’t exist?” and “Assuming that I’m losing here’s the real hoax,” Teza punches these enemies for you, using hefty rhetorical questions and a Herculean vocal performance as her weapons.
In the first verse, we’re hit with several lines that seemingly grow legs and line up in front of Teza to defend her. Matter of fact, livid images like, “Supporting stupid people / It’s a problem” and “Rubbing your lamp like a genie / Bitch, you wish” create a show and tell that has something for every student in Teza’s masterclass — and you might even sneak in a stormy laugh as she drags your enemies.
Teza sneaks in hooks even before we arrive at the chorus, but the main hook of “Bully” does two jobs effectively. Its day job is finishing the story hinted at in the intro, which features the same distorted undercurrent as the chorus. By night, the more spacious chorus provides a break from the lyric-heavy verses, utilizing masterful tension and release. The track has been building to this: Like a beat drop, the hook provides a solid break for our pattern-seeking brains to easily latch onto, and — most importantly — a time to absolutely and truly thrash.
Throughout “Bully,” Teza uses the electric guitar, livid prose, and explicit lyrics to viscerally display anger and frustration, but by far the most smoldering technique is her distorted vocals. Akin to yelling through gritted teeth, the frictioned “Bully da da da” present throughout the track works to support this woman’s muscular lyricism.
And while the most important part of this track is not that the creator is a woman, the power of hearing a female voice sing these explicit lyrics lights a new fire for those who feel unheard. Not only is her anger empowering in the face of a society that doesn’t allow women to show it, but the in-your-face coexistence of lines like, “You’re a bully / You suck my dick” and the youthful “bully” itself gives Teza a strong — but not overbearing — power that’s alarming yet elegant and inclusive to all those who need defending.
So if you’re feeling angry or unheard (or if you just want to thrash) take a listen to the track below, and let us know in the comments if it gives you the strength to stand up to your bullies once and for all.
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