Kevin Drew, known to the world as KDrew, has this weird, almost frustrating ability to make music that sounds like it’s from five years in the future while staying rooted in the grit of the early 2010s. When you listen to KDrew Pop It Off, you aren't just hearing another EDM track. You’re hearing the peak of a specific era of electronic music—one where melody actually mattered as much as the bass drop.
It’s loud. It’s colorful. Honestly, it’s a bit of a relic that somehow hasn't aged a day.
Most people found KDrew through his massive hits like "Bullseye" or his work with Zedd, but "Pop It Off" occupies a special niche in the discography. It’s the bridge between his more pop-focused sensibilities and the absolute chaos of glitch-hop. If you were scouring SoundCloud or Newgrounds back in the day, this was the kind of track that defined your entire mood. It’s aggressive but polished.
The Sound Design Behind Pop It Off
What makes the song work? It isn't just the beat. It’s the texture. Kevin Drew is a classically trained musician, and it shows in how he stacks his synths. Most EDM producers during that mid-2010s boom were just trying to be as loud as possible. KDrew was different. He used space.
The track kicks off with these stuttering, syncopated rhythms that feel like a physical machine trying to turn over. Then the bass hits. It’s a "wet" sound—if that makes sense—thick and resonant, typical of the glitch-hop genre but with a higher production value than most of his peers were hitting at the time.
You’ve got these bright, soaring leads that cut through the low-end mud. It’s a contrast that shouldn't work. It’s basically the musical equivalent of putting neon paint on a tank.
He uses a lot of "call and response" in his arrangements. One synth line asks a question, the next one answers it. It keeps your brain engaged. You aren't just waiting for the drop; you're actually following a narrative arc made of electricity.
Why the 110 BPM Tempo Matters
A lot of people don’t realize that "Pop It Off" sits right around that 110 BPM sweet spot. In the industry, we call this "moombahton" or "glitch-hop" territory depending on the swing of the drums.
- It’s slower than house music (128 BPM).
- It’s faster than hip-hop (usually 80-90 BPM).
- This specific tempo creates a "swagger."
When you listen to it, you don't jump; you move. It has a weight to it that faster tracks lack. It’s why this song became a staple for gaming montages and highlight reels. It matches the pacing of high-intensity action perfectly.
KDrew’s Role in the Independent Music Movement
KDrew is often cited as a success story for independent artists. He didn't wait for a major label to tell him what to do. He built his brand through direct engagement and high-quality free releases.
When "Pop It Off" started gaining traction, it wasn't because of a million-dollar marketing budget. It was because the "No Copyright Sounds" (NCS) era and the gaming community on YouTube embraced it. Creators needed music that felt epic but didn't result in a copyright strike.
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He understood the value of the "Prosumer." He knew that if he gave his music to the kids making Minecraft videos or Call of Duty edits, his reach would explode. It was a genius move. Honestly, a lot of the modern "creator-friendly" music libraries owe a debt to the path Kevin blazed.
The Technical Complexity
If you open this track in a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) like Ableton or FL Studio, you’d see hundreds of tiny micro-edits. That’s the "glitch" part of glitch-hop. It isn't just a loop playing. Every four bars, something tiny changes. A snare gets a different reverb tail. A bass note gets chopped in half.
It’s tedious work. Most producers today skip it for the sake of efficiency. KDrew didn't. He obsessed over the "ear candy"—those little sounds that you only notice on the fifth or sixth listen.
The Impact on Modern Bass Music
You can hear echoes of KDrew Pop It Off in the works of artists like The Fat Rat or even some of the more melodic dubstep coming out of the Monstercat label. He proved that you could be heavy without being "scary."
There’s a certain joy in his music. It’s "Pop" in the sense that it’s catchy, but it’s "Off" in the sense that it’s weird and experimental.
Many fans argue that this track represents the last "golden age" of SoundCloud. It was a time before the algorithms took over, when a song could go viral just because it was objectively better than everything else on the feed. It felt more democratic.
Common Misconceptions About the Song
I’ve seen a lot of threads claiming KDrew uses ghost producers or that "Pop It Off" was a collaboration that didn't get credited properly. That’s basically nonsense. Kevin is notorious for being a "studio rat." He does the mixing, the mastering, and the vocal processing himself.
Another misconception is that the song is "dated." Sure, the specific synth patches might feel 2014, but the composition is timeless. Good songwriting transcends the tools used to create it. If you stripped away the electronic elements and played the melody on a piano, it would still be a solid piece of music.
Where to Listen and What to Look For
If you’re revisiting the track, try to find a high-fidelity version. YouTube compression eats the transients in this song for breakfast. On a decent pair of headphones, you’ll hear:
- The subtle panning of the percussion.
- The "bit-crushed" textures on the lead synths.
- The way the sub-bass slides between notes (portamento).
It’s a masterclass in frequency management. Keeping that much low-end energy without drowning out the vocals or leads is incredibly difficult.
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Moving Forward With the KDrew Sound
If you’re a producer or just a fan of the genre, there’s a lot to learn from how this track was put together. We’re seeing a massive resurgence in 110-115 BPM music lately, particularly in the "Phonk" and "Midtempo" scenes.
What you should do next:
- Analyze the arrangement: Notice how he builds tension using white noise and rising filters before the drop. It’s textbook but executed flawlessly.
- Explore the discography: Don't stop at "Pop It Off." Check out "Signals" or his remix of "Let Me Love You" to see how he handles different vocal styles.
- Look at the visuals: KDrew has always paired his music with strong, minimalist aesthetic choices. It’s a lesson in cohesive branding.
The real takeaway here is that "Pop It Off" isn't just a song; it’s a blueprint for how to balance commercial appeal with technical "nerdiness." It’s why we’re still talking about it years later.
Whether you’re using it for a workout playlist or trying to deconstruct the synth patches in your bedroom studio, the track remains a high-water mark for the glitch-hop movement. It’s loud, it’s proud, and it still kicks.
To truly appreciate the evolution of this sound, compare the original "Pop It Off" with Kevin’s more recent orchestral or cinematic experiments. You’ll see the same DNA—the same love for melody and the same refusal to be "just another producer." He’s a songwriter who happens to use a computer as his instrument.
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Stay focused on the layers. The magic is in the details you don't hear the first time around.