Dominic Fike’s “What Could Possibly Go Wrong” [Review]

I’m not sure how I found out about Dominic Fike, but it was long before his acting debut in the HBO drama, Euphoria. It was for sure after the release of “What Could Possibly Go Wrong”, and I’d say that my first introduction to him was with one of the tracks on this album.

Releasing on July 31st, 2020, “What Could Possibly Go Wrong” debuted with mixed to positive reviews and charted pretty high on Billboard’s charts.

“What Could Possibly Go Wrong” is the result of a bidding war. In 2017, Fike began recording songs for what is now his debut EP, “Don’t Forget About Me, Demos”. Later, in 2018, Fike was briefly in jail for violating a house arrest order. During this time, the demos that he had released on SoundCloud were attracting the eyes of a number of record labels, eventually leading to Fike signing with Columbia Records. Work on “What Could Possibly Go Wrong” started in 2019 with singles “Rollerblades”, “Açaí Bowl”, and “Phone Numbers” releasing in June and July of 2019. “What Could Possibly Go Wrong” was eventually scheduled to be released on July 10th, 2020, but was delayed for 3 weeks.

Most of the tracks on “What Could Possibly Go Wrong” are rather short, with only five of them being longer than 2 minutes and 30 seconds. As a result, none of the songs overstay their welcome and the album goes by incredibly quick.

The record starts off with “Come Here”, a song filled with distorted guitars, muffled/strained vocals, and a very raw feeling. The guitar is probably the best part of this track as it’s an incredible way to open such an album. The vocals focus on Fike desperately calling on someone that he truly cares about and wants to be with, whether that’s a friend or a lover is ambiguous.

“Double Negative (Skeleton Milkshake)” is up next, and it’s a track focused on a relationship that Fike is in. While his partner is struggling to find her place in the world, she’s changing right in front of him. Fike’s vocals really take the lead on this track and he’s absolutely flexing his vocal talents on this one.

“Cancel Me” takes a more somber and laid-back tone compared to the first two tracks. Fike is struggling with his newfound fame as he longs for his home back in Florida. While living in Los Angeles he’s had to become someone he’s not in order to succeed. While he’s not used to the lifestyle and coming to terms with his new life, he just wants to be with his family. The pleading sounds of Fike’s voice really lean into how much he feels out of place.

Despite being only a few songs into the album, “10x Stronger” serves as an interlude. Its calming tones help set the mood for the more relaxed nature of the upcoming tracks, and the vocalizations are some of the catchiest on the record. The strings are also a treat toward the end of this song.

“Good Game” is a super low-key kind of song. Unlike the previous tracks, this one is told from the point of view of someone close to Fike from when he was living in Naples, most likely his mother. The singer is telling Fike to remember to be grounded and just don’t become like his father, David. While they’re proud of Fike, they really just want him to be safe, remember where he came from and who he grew up with, as well as just to do his best.

One of the stronger songs on this album is “Why”. The song revolves around a conversation Fike is having with a woman who’s got blond hair and amazing thighs. Fike is wondering why the woman is putting up with all of the things she’s dealing with in her life. Fike is pushing her, and the listener to wonder why they’re dealing with whatever it is they’re putting up with in life and pushing them to do something about it. Once again, Fike’s vocals really shine through on this track and the backing guitar/drums really help push everything to the next level.

The debut single off of “What Could Possibly Go Wrong” is “Chicken Tenders” which was released about a month before the entire album. The song focuses on Fike and his lover living a life of luxury in a hotel room, ordering some chicken tenders, and some “good love makin’”. The way that Fike pitches up his vocals on this track combined with the dream-like synths makes for a really strong entry on this record.

“What’s For Dinner” feels as if it’s another interlude on the record, with a much more laid-back feeling, and a 40-second instrumental at the end. This song is more of a conversation that the singer is having with someone that they care about. They’re telling them to talk about and appreciate the little things. The second half pivots into the singer criticizing their partner saying that their love is cheap and they only want them for what they have and don’t really care about the little things.

“Vampire” is probably the strongest song on the record. The song is focused on the thought of nightlife in Los Angeles. Only seeing people that come out at night to party, feeling like an outcast, and having them “suck” your energy as you attend the event. Fike really comes into his own on this track, with the lo-fi guitars, backing vocalizations, and Fike’s own laid-back voice. It’s a real treat and it’s how I first got into listening to Fike’s music.

Fike’s love for that lo-fi feeling of music really shows its head in “Superstar Sh*t”. With its synthesized vocals and heavy use of synths and pianos for the backing track, this might be the most chill track on the record. The lyrics on this one really focus on how much life has changed for Fike now that he’s moved across the country as a musician. He’s found out how tough life has become having to juggle and balance everything that comes with being an artist.

The second single off the album is “Politics & Violence”. This song is unique on the record as it starts off with Fike’s signature lo-fi vibes and him talking about his life in Hollywood with how he doesn’t belong, but in the second half of the song, he shifts into rapping about how much everything has changed in his life. Everything that he’s doing, he’s doing for his mom and his little sister.

“Joe Blazey” is a song about someone who doesn’t really exist. The lyric “Joe Blazey” is actually the lyric “trailblazer” just pitch-shifted. The song was supposed to be called “So Crazy” as that’s another thing that the lyric sounds like. While the first half of the song feels like a signature Fike song, halfway through we hear a recording of Fike saying that he’s having a panic attack. The song shifts and that high-pitched voice that we were hearing becomes Fike’s normal voice and the lo-fi beats become overly distorted and pitched down. While the song is unique, it’s probably one of the weaker ones on the record.

“Wurli” sounds different from any other song on the record with a more R&B and pop feel as opposed to a lo-fi one. While it does have some staple lo-fi elements, the drums really take the lead in this song. The lyrics focus on a relationship that’s gone sour with Fike feeling like a “glorified doorstop” as that’s all he’s good for now.

Closing out the album is “Florida”, a song about Fike’s journey from living in Florida to becoming the up-and-coming star that he is. The song can be summarized in the lyric “Every kid with me grew together, I’m proud of us, from a sunken place to the top, and look at what we accomplished”. Once again, that lo-fi feeling that Fike’s made his signature is the star of the show here. With his warped and synthesized vocals, shifting into a rap, this song is the culmination of all of his efforts and everything he’s worked toward.

Final thoughts

Dominic Fike’s “What Could Possibly Go Wrong” is a record where pop and R&B meet lo-fi, becoming something pretty unique along the way. While no song overstays it’s welcome, the record leaves you wanting more. Fike offers a tour of his life, from his highest highs to lowest lows, he details his journey from becoming a Florida native to his life as an artist in L.A.

Album Score: 8/10

Favorite Track: “Vampire”

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