By ELLA SILVA
On September 23, 2025, the album “Mixtape, Vol. 1” was released by Beloit College student Brandon Barber’28. The album was a result of a self-imposed challenge to make a whole album in a week. According to Barber, “The process was honestly wild. I limited myself to seven days to make this thing, from writing, recording, mixing, and finishing everything from scratch. No plan, no theme, no idea what the project was even going to be. I was fully locked in that whole week, I mean, I barely left my room, it was just me, my mic, and my laptop.”
This week of work resulted in a 12-track album that spans a wide range of emotions and sounds. It feels very personal and raw, but also has a number of songs that just make you want to get up and dance. From songs like “NUMB” that feel like a spring day, tracks like “Anesthesia” that feel like they are meant to be listened to on a sticky, warm evening in your room, and songs like “Seven Letters” that you could have a good cry to, there is something here for everyone.
Barber echoes this sentiment, saying, “If you’ve never heard my music before, this is a perfect place to start. This project isn’t over-polished or trying to be perfect; it’s just real and fun, and every song just came from whatever headspace I was in at the time. I also made it with the intention that there’d be something for everyone on there, whether you’re in your feelings, driving around with the windows down, just need a song that makes you feel good, or a senseless bop, it’s in there. I wanted every track to stand on its own, but also feel like they go together.”
Listening to the album, it feels surprising that it was made completely in just one week, and just completely done by Barber himself. The quality of this project is on par with albums from major artists under large music labels, and that is extremely impressive. When I listened to it for the first time, I was genuinely shocked by how good it was, and multiple songs have made it into my regular music rotation now. I highly recommend you give it a listen; it might surprise you!
When speaking to Barber about the process of making this album and what some of his points of inspiration were, he highlighted that the one-week challenge of the project was the biggest inspiration and driving force behind the album. “I think the biggest inspiration honestly came from the time itself. I only had seven days, so there wasn’t time to second-guess lyrics or go back and make things perfect. I just had to say what I kind of felt in the moment and just kinda keep moving, and I think that weirdly led to some of the most genuine songs I’ve ever written.” He goes on to say more about this genuine, honest feeling throughout the project, stating, “The lyrics kinda ended up being way more honest than I expected, kinda the closest thing to a therapy session I’ve ever had in my songs. It wasn’t planned, but the pressure kind of forced me to stop filtering myself, and I just think this is the most real I’ve ever sounded on a project, and I really like it.”
That realness can truly be felt through the whole album, and is definitely one of its strengths. It feels very down-to-earth, regardless of whether the song is trying to make you laugh or cry, and that makes it feel even more like a well-thought-out, full, cohesive album. The fact that the album is out on Spotify and such contributes to that feeling, something that Barber feels very lucky to have been able to do. He says “Getting it on Spotify and putting it out properly was a huge part of making it feel real, and I’m really lucky to be backed by an independent artist label that believes in me. They invest time and trust into each of my projects. When I’m not making anything, there’s absolutely no pressure, and when something is ready, they go all in trying to promote it and stuff like that. I think I owe a lot to that kind of freedom, and it’s rare, especially in music, and it’s the reason I’m able to make stuff like this without feeling boxed in.”
With an album with a tracklist so varied, the obvious question is which song is your favorite? Barber says that his are “‘Never Cared Enough About You’ and ‘Be There’ for completely different reasons. With ‘Never Cared Enough About You,’ that was the last song I made, and it ended up being my favorite. I always wanted to make one of those songs that makes you want to dance or nod your head, but when you look into the lyrics, it’s actually really deep and sad. That’s one of my favorite little tricks in music that people do, and I think this is one of the first times I’ve pulled that off the way I imagined it. And for ‘Be There,’ that one just makes me happy. It was the most fun to make, everything about it just snapped into place.” Personally, my favorite song is “NUMB” and I would love to know what you, yes YOU reading this, think your favorite song is.
If you haven’t given this a listen yet, I encourage you to check it out. Listen to a genuinely incredible project, and support a fellow Beloiter in the process. And if you enjoy the album, Barber has some good news for you: “Without saying too much, there might be a collab EP in the works, hopefully! I’ve been working with an artist whose sound I really love, and it’s coming together in a way that’s got me super excited, so if you’re into this project, just know that there’s more coming.”
The challenge aspect of this project is another major thing that makes it stand out. The fact that it was brought to life through the time limit of one week adds an additional dimension to the album. Barber sums up the entire experience of how this album came to life perfectly, and I will leave you with these words from him. “Even though it felt in the moment all over the place, that’s what made this project work. I didn’t have time to overthink or doubt myself, I just had to kinda commit, and somehow by the end of that week I had 12 songs that belonged together. I really didn’t expect that.”
Featured Image: Ella Silva’26
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