prblm has something really interesting going on with “palace.” The song immediately caught my attention because the beat does not sound like something you hear every day. It is weird in the best way, almost hypnotic, with these scattered sounds and adlibs constantly adding more personality to the record. There is a lot happening in the production, but somehow it still gives prblm enough space to bring his own energy into it.
The verse itself feels really raw. Lines like “I'm an icy boy, you know I'm fucking froze” and “Watch me step out with my hooves, I'm the goat” show the type of playful confidence prblm brings throughout the track. He is not necessarily trying to make every bar overly complicated. A lot of what makes the song work is the delivery, repetition, adlibs, and the strange atmosphere surrounding everything.
I do think the verse sounds a little unmixed in certain spots. His vocals could sit inside the beat better, especially because the instrumental has so many unique textures fighting for attention already. A cleaner mix and master could make the vocal hit harder without taking away from that raw sound. That being said, the roughness almost becomes part of the character of the song, and the beat is interesting enough that I kept listening regardless.
The music video might be one of my favorite parts of “palace.” Instead of going for a regular performance video, prblm leans completely into the weird atmosphere of the track. The dark silhouettes, distorted visuals, projections, unusual lighting, and intentionally low quality look make it feel like you are watching some lost underground footage. There are shots where his face is barely visible while another image is projected behind him, making the whole thing feel uncomfortable and dreamlike.
“palace” feels more like prblm building a world than simply dropping another rap song. The mixing could definitely use some work, but the creativity is already there. Between the beat, the nonstop adlibs, his personality on the verse, and an equally strange music video, prblm made something that actually sticks in your head because it does not sound or look like everything else.
