Exzenya breaks through the smoked glass facade of nightlife culture with V.I.P.--a song that takes back the acronym of velvet ropes and champagne service and shows its ugly reality: Victims Impact Panel, the compulsory programme awaiting those caught committing drink-driving crimes. It is not the party music, it is some piercing social commentary wrapped in some catchy beats and unashamed wordplay.
It is inspired by the boldest representatives of alternative hip-hop, and Exzenya impresses with her vocal flow, working on top of the percussion and synth waves reminiscent of the golden age of nineties hip-hop. The production strikes the perfect balance, it is serious enough to feel the urgency of the subject matter of the production and to retain the rhythmic punch that moves the listeners. This contrast is the reflection of the main conflict of the song, the collision between the perceived status and the reality.
What makes the storey of V.I.P. go beyond novelty is that Exzenya does not demean the grave outcomes. Her dark humour and irony are used not to ridicule, but to enlighten, to make the audience face the ugly realities of their decisions, responsibilities and the mechanisms to manage it. It is the recognition of the reality of pain combined with an unblinking view of human behaviour that makes the satire cuts.
Her experience in psychology and communications can be observed in the way Exzenya tells her storeys. She does not judge, but sees, and puts the situations in a clear manner that does not preach, but makes one think. The catchy tunes of the track make the message sink without seeming preachy enough, which is a sign of advanced knowledge on how music can be used to teach and entertain at the same time.
Exzenya has been going on to demonstrate how the true art defies age and anticipation. V.I.P. is a symbol of audacious creative risk-taking, addressing themes that mainstream pop would not address, using production that is genre-fluid, and relying on audiences to follow the complexity. It is a challenging, provocative, and rewarding music to listen to repeatedly, and this is why Exzenya can be called an artist with no fear of reversing the cultural scripts and making people talk.
