At age 20, he started composing music by making beats on his laptop and releasing them for free online. After gaining a small following from making beats, Eyedress was introduced to Filipino singer Skint Eastwood, and they collaborated on the song "Biolumine". The song earned him attention from a French label which pushed for him to make an album, which then earned him a record deal with Abeano Records, a subsidiary of XL Recordings. On December 2, 2013, he released his debut extended play Supernatural, which he recorded in his bedroom using FL Studio.
Eyedress released his debut mixtape, Hearing Colors, as a free digital download on April 11, 2014. He released his second EP, Egyptian Night Club to SoundCloud on July 27, 2014. In September 2014, he released the single "Polo Tee" as a tribute to American record producer DJ Rashad. He released his first mixtape after leaving XL Recordings, "Shapeshifter", in 2015.
He signed to Lex Records in 2016: releasing his debut studio album "Manila Ice" the following May. That was followed by "Sensitive G" in November 2018.
Eyedress relocated to Los Angeles from Manila and began recording new songs at his home in Silver Lake.
In late 2019 and early 2020, the first singles from Eyedress' third studio album Let's Skip to the Wedding were released. These included "Jealous" and "Romantic Lover" which became viral hits on TikTok. "Jealous" was certified gold in Australia, Canada, Poland and the USA in 2021, and platinum in the USA in March 2022. "Romantic Lover" was certified gold in the USA in April 2022. The album itself was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and "Let's Skip to the Wedding" was finally released on August 7, 2020.
His next album, Mulholland Drive, was released on August 27, 2021. In September 2021, shortly after the album release, the first single from Mulholland Drive, "Something About You" went viral in the US with Rolling Stone citing the track as the fastest-rising song on American streaming services for the week ending September 23. In January 2022, Eyedress was ranked at number 35 on the Billboard Emerging Artists chart. "Something About You" was certified gold in the USA in May 2022. The album was nominated for Libera Award for Marketing Genius.
Eyedress teamed up with Filipino American artist named Zzzahara and announced their debut album together as The Simps. The album, Siblings, was released by Lex Records on February 14, 2022. The tracklist includes "Tesla," the album's first track as wells as the songs "Miss Fortunate" from 2019 and "On Fye" from 2020. The two related over their Filipino background and shared taste in music. Zzzahara soon started playing guitar in the group thereafter.
In April, 2022 Eyedress played Coachella festival with his new band debuting new material from his forthcoming album his fifth studio, Full Time Lover.[24] The album was released on August 26, 2022. It the track list consists of 28 tracks of hip-hop, post-punk and shoegaze. Shortly after the album, Eyedress released a cover of Blur's "Song 2" and he featured on Nosaj Thing track "Different Life" from the album Continua.
On October, 5 2022 an Eyedress remix of Fly Anakin, Pink Siifu & Fousheé's track "L's" was released. The next day Eyedress performed live at Elsehwere in Brooklyn headlining a Lex Records event which also included performances by Pink Siifu and Fly Anakin.
A remix of Full Time Lover track "House of Cards" by Kevin Shields was released as part of the Lex-XX remix series on January 23, 2023. RCA Records released "Flowers & Chocolate", his first single for a major label with a music video directed by Eddie Huang on February 13. In March, the RIAA upgraded certification for "Jealous" to 2x Platinum and "Romantic Lover" to Platinum.
Manila Ice
Eyedress Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I been smechin on the low
I been killin on the low
I don't tell nobody no
Bribin cops wit money
In the scorching sun
Shooting anybody
Tha'ts been taking drugs
And I get away
And I'm drivin' fast
I hope this don't crash
Got my seat belt on
Trynna take it home
Yeah
I don't even care about
What anyone think of me
And I don't really know
What these people think they know
Cuz I know better
I know better
I been smokin on the low
I been smechin on the low
I been killin on the low
I don't tell nobody no
Bribin cops wit money
In the scorching sun
Shooting anybody
Tha'ts been taking drugs
Aim it at your face
And I get away
And I'm drivin' fast
I hope this don't crash
Got my seat belt on
Trynna take it home to you
Winnin all the time
The lyrics of Eyedress's "Manila Ice" are a depiction of the darker realities of living in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. The opening lines, "I been smokin' on the low. I been smechin' on the low. I been killin' on the low. I don't tell nobody no" suggest that the singer is participating in criminal activity and trying to remain discreet about it. As the song proceeds, it becomes evident that he is bribing cops for his wrongdoings, shooting anyone who uses drugs, and driving fast in the scorching sun.
The line "I don't even care about what anyone thinks of me," indicates that the singer is aware of the social stigma that surrounds criminal activities and is rejecting the notions of society. "And I don't really know what these people think they know 'cause I know better. I know better" suggests that the singer is confident in his decisions and life choices, despite them being morally and legally questionable.
The repetition of the opening lines throughout the song serves to emphasize the singer's continued participation in illicit activities. The line, "Trying to take it home to you, winning all the time" indicates that the singer's motivations for participating in criminal activities might be tied to his desire to achieve material success and provide for someone he cares for.
Line by Line Meaning
I been smokin on the low
I have been secretly smoking cigarettes to relieve my stress
I been smechin on the low
I have been secretly using drugs to find solace
I been killin on the low
I have been executing evil plans secretly
I don't tell nobody no
I do not reveal my sinister activities to anyone
Bribin cops wit money
I bribe the police with money to protect myself from getting caught
In the scorching sun
I indulge in deviant activities even in the hot, humid weather
Shooting anybody
I shoot anyone who is a threat to my existence without any remorse
Tha'ts been taking drugs
I eliminate people who consume drugs
Aim it at your face
I target your face to cause lethal injuries
And I get away
I escape from the scene successfully
And I'm drivin' fast
I am driving recklessly to avoid police detection
I hope this don't crash
I pray to not meet with an accident
Got my seat belt on
I protect myself by wearing a seat belt
Trynna take it home to you
I am attempting to bring my negative actions to an end by coming back to you
Winnin all the time
Despite my malevolent activities, I am still succeeding in my mission
I don't even care about
I am not concerned about what people think of me
What anyone think of me
Others' opinions about me are insignificant
And I don't really know
I am unsure about other people's perceptions of me
What these people think they know
People believe they have misunderstood my motives
Cuz I know better
I am convinced that I have better insight into my own intentions
I know better
I have complete knowledge about my own actions
Contributed by Owen K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@vargoro
I been smokin' on the low
I been schemin' on the low
I been killin' on the low
I don't tell nobody no
Bribin' cops with money
In the scorching sun
Shooting anybody
That's been taking drugs
Aim it at your face
And I get away
And I'm drivin' fast
I hope this car don't crash
Got my seat belt on
Trying to make it home
Yeah
[Bridge]
I don't even care about
What anyone think of me
And I don't really know
What these people think they know
Cuz I know better
I know better
[Refrain]
I been smokin' on the low
I been schemin' on the low
I been killin' on the low
I don't tell nobody no
Bribin' cops with money
In the scorching sun
Shooting anybody
That's been taking drugs
Aim it at your face
And I get away
And I'm drivin' fast
I hope this car don't crash
Got my seat belt on
Trying to make it home to you
Winning all the time
@eyedress
watch the new album videos - https://eyedress.lnk.to/MulhollandDriveVids
presave and preorder my new album out august 28 - https://eyedress.lnk.to/MulhollandDrive
@samwarren5025
I can’t wait until he blows up his music has been great for years he deserves it
@user-io6sd5ef8j
Same
@remy6614
its been 7 months and hes slowly getting more popular after tiktok
@GLSA_
Hes popular now.
@jasieljardon183
hes no longer underground in my opinion
@moonstone6133
@suvqz even though tiktok is annoying, i'm glad they introduced me to his music
@adrianaz.7867
I've found Eyedress almost 4 years ago and I felt blessed to had the chance of being alive and listen to someone who does amazing music. Idris you are a genius, I hope your music blows up soon.
@dwoodrow9278
Idris Elba is a great actor
@lilaxxx6264
He arrived until Nicaragua, I have a couple of friends and we really enjoy this beautiful song.