Much like her fairy tale namesake, Alison Wonderland seems like she’s lived 100 lives in the span of her career. The talented trap darling has headlined festivals, met the love of her life, became a new mom, created a techno alias, and released four studio albums. Her latest, Ghost World, is a monster 14-track undertaking that showcases an expanse of subgenres, eras, and features. “My life has changed so much since I started — not only in my career but my personal life,” she told Rolling Stone. “I’ve evolved and this album needed to evolve with me.”
Prior to the album release, Wonderland wrote on Instagram, “Ghost World is really about me trying to find my place. I often feel like I’m wandering this earth trying to find my home, both artistically and personally.” In that vein, it’s no surprise that the album was lyrically rooted in vulnerability and honesty, wrapped in the sonic styles that have characterized her decade-long career. But throughout all the diversity, a thread of continuity is ingeniously woven throughout the album – billowy, echoey vocals and the allusion to “ghostly” movements.
Going Back to Her Roots
The opening title track, “Ghost World”, immediately set the tone with a callback to Wonderland’s trap roots. Along with dark and heavy 808s reminiscent of the peak trap era (think TNGHT and Keys N Krates) during which she rose to fame, the track even includes a vocal sample from her son, Max. “Get Started” was another trap callback – leaning more towards her Awake era, with trap beats alongside her now recognizable echoey vocals.
One of the standout traits of Ghost World is its quality roster of features. The list includes fellow Aussies, trap legends, fellow female powerhouse producers, friends (or all of the above!).
Big Name Collabs
“Heaven” is a collab with ninajirachi, a rising star recently seen on other collabs with names like isoxo and MGNA Crrrta, for that electrohouse touch. With lifting piano chords and reflective lyrics, the track almost teeters into feel-good big room. “PSYCHO”, arguably the album’s most intense track, enlisted huge trap producers QUIX and Memba, along with rapper Erick the Architect. Wonderland is no stranger to including rappers on her tracks (her 2018 hit, “High”, featured Trippie Redd), but “PSYCHO” utilizes rap in a much more robust way. The chaotic track ranges from heavy trap during the first drop to rap in the middle to hard techno towards the end.
Other features include “Voices”, a lighthearted breakbeat collab with coder producer DJ_Dave, and hypnotic warehouse banger “XTC” with Wonderland’s own alter ego Whyte Fang.
A World of Diverse Subgenres
The album continues traversing subgenres – from atmospheric deep house in “Floating Away” to wave (a la newer-gen trap artists like Juelz or Deadcrow) in “Sirens” to energetic punky synth reminiscent of SMILE! Porter Robinson in “Everything Comes in Waves.” It comes to a close with the aptly named “Is This The End?” – a cinematic, uplifting closer with trance-like buildups that leaves the listener feeling inspired. “I can never not be me,” Wonderland sings on the track – and she definitely showed that in spades on this album.
Wonderland shared a story with Rolling Stone about something one of her openers once told her that has stuck with her since: ‘Well, Alison, people listen to a single for six months, but they listen to an album forever.’ And for many EDM listeners everywhere, Ghost World will definitely be one of those albums.