Most summer anthems are like fast food: they exist, they’re edible, you vaguely enjoy them in the moment, and then they vanish from memory about three songs later. CANTBUYDEEM’s “It’s Whenever”, on the other hand, feels like a drink someone actually made for you; shaken, not stirred, handed over with a wink. It’s confident without being desperate for your approval, and that’s what makes it stick.
The production isn’t busy. It doesn’t need to be. It’s airy, low-key, with just enough bass to feel substantial without ever bulldozing the vocal. You could call it minimal, but that’d be selling it short; it’s more like deliberate restraint. There’s space here, and in that space CANTBUYDEEM manages to sound both laid back and quietly defiant. He doesn’t rap like someone begging for your attention. He raps like someone who knows you’re already listening.
And here’s the thing: a lot of tracks try to shove their “depth” in your face, as if whispering about struggle over a piano played at changing time signatures which is then looped makes them profound. “It’s Whenever” is smarter than that. It’s casual on the surface; half diary entry, half flex, but if you actually pay attention, you notice how survival, style, and selfhood are braided together. It’s not trying to beat you over the head with a moral; it just lets the vibe carry the weight of the meaning.
The hook is deceptively simple. It doesn’t scream “anthem,” but it seeps into your head anyway, the way an offhand phrase from a friend ends up being repeated for weeks. And that’s sort of the point; the song isn’t about spectacle, it’s about inhabiting a mood. It’s the sound of someone shrugging off hardship, not because it doesn’t matter, but because carrying yourself with composure does.
There’s a duality here I really like: on one hand, it’s breezy enough to soundtrack your summer barbecue; on the other, it’s got enough grit to remind you that ease doesn’t come free. CANTBUYDEEM threads those opposites together without ever calling attention to the balancing act. It just feels natural, which is annoyingly rare.
So is this the next big radio single? Probably not; it’s too subtle for that. But that’s exactly why it’s good. It’s a track that doesn’t waste time pandering to whatever microtrend TikTok has decided is the future of music. Instead, it just does its thing, and does it well. And honestly, that’s refreshing.
“It’s Whenever” is cool, confident and crucially; not disposable. Which is more than I can say for most of what’s clogging up summer playlists right now.
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About the Author
A tenured media critic known working as a ghost writer, freelance critic for various publications around the world, the former lead writer of review blogspace Atop The Treehouse and content creator for Manila Bulletin.
