Trojan Horse (album)
2026 studio album by Matt Proxy
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Trojan Horse (stylized in lowercase) is the debut album by American rapper Matt Proxy.[1][2] It was released on June 19, 2026 under Listen To The Kids and features guest appearances from Grimes, Current Joys, Fakemink, Never Goodbye, and Jusq.[3] Trojan Horse continues on his horse-themed series of projects, following the EPs Beating a Dead Horse and Horse Play.
| Trojan Horse | |
|---|---|
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| Studio album by | |
| Released | June 19, 2026 |
| Recorded | 2025–2026 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 33:19 |
| Label | Listen To The Kids |
| Producers |
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| Singles from Trojan Horse | |
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Trojan Horse is an avant garde and experimental hip-hop album which showcases Matt Proxy's individuality and emotional life story across 12 tracks.[3][4]
Background
Leading up to Trojan Horse, Matt Proxy continued to maintain a popularity status for his name following his guest appearance on the 2026 Underground Sound cypher, which featured other fellow artists such as Sixbill, RainingLol, and 2Slimey.[5] Following the cypher, Proxy announced via Pidgeons & Planes that Trojan Horse would be on the way.[6] In preparation leading up to the release of Trojan Horse. Proxy's father was deported back to Liberia after spending six months in ICE detention.[6][7] Proxy wanted to make the album personal when he told Pidgeons & Planes that he would put his real life into the project, and that his father the will narrate the record.[6][7]
Following the album's announcement, multiple releases, and garnering even more attention, Proxy gained the attention of rapper JPEGMAFIA, who later announced that Proxy, alongside Redveil, will be opening for his Experimental Rap North American Tour. The tour begins in September and ends in October.[8] Following the announcement, Proxy then connected with English rapper, Fakemink, after he discovered Proxy through his song, "Catfish".[6] Following that, Proxy met with Fakemink in person, after he bought him out in Minneapolis for a show,[7] and in London for the release party of his project, Terrified.[6]
Then, on June 11, 2026, after building up hype and finishing the final touches for Trojan Horse, Proxy would reveal the release date and track list for the project on his Instagram page. The post revealed that the project would release on June 19, 2026, and would have 12 tracks. It also revealed the guest appearances for the project, with the artists being Grimes, Current Joys, Fakemink, Never Goodbye, and Jusq.[7]
Composition
Overview
Trojan Horse is an avant garde and experimental hip-hop album,[9] which project consists of 12 tracks.[3] The project features Proxy's individualism and focuses on his life story,[4] and focuses on topics such as the cold weather in Minneapolis, his sister's overdose, father's ICE detainment, and deportation.[10] Trojan Horse features constant stylistic shifts and genre-blending production throughout.[4] Olivier Lafontant of Pitchfork described the album as one in which "ear-splitting tonal shifts and distorted transitions" are intertwined with emotions such as "angst, grief, and elation."[4]
Songs
The album starts with "5", a track featuring Fakemink. The track features "drunken, fuzzy guitar strums and pitch-shifted melodies"[4] and "warped but catchy" vocals by Fakemink, while Proxy raps about love, personal values, and capital punishment. According to Anthony Fantano, the song blends home-spun hip hop with the modern era internet music paired with the late 2000s indie rock.[11] The second track takes a "hard shift" to "Stars", which kicks off with trap metal, a loud and aggressive production of hip-hop, most of the lyricism can't be comprehended due to its compression, distortion,[4] and over saturation, which ties in hand with the modern era of rage rap, Fantano compared the track to 2Slimey's High Anxiety and OsamaSon's psykotic, the second part of the track is more laid back. It features soul chops, cartoon-gruff raps, and dreamy keys, which are reminiscent of Odd Future and early Tyler The Creator.[11] "Atlanta" is a tribute to his father and delves into racism in the country. The track's flow feels reminiscent of JPEGMafia, Earl Sweatshirt, and Tyler, The Creator, once again. "All You'll Hear Is My Song In Your Head" features dejected delivery against quaint "bittersweet" guitar arpeggios and "sweet, dissonant" vocal leads; "Misery" sees Proxy dive more into individualism,[4] the track features "fist-pumping" drums, and harmoniously beautiful raw AutoTune vocals[4] against blown-out soul chops and guitars; it's also a two-part track, such as "Stars".[11] Lafontant labeled the track as "fuzzy and squeaky", with the lyric and beat compression feeling reminiscent of a "chintzy Limewire bootleg".[4]
"New Solution" features hurried and loose flows over grimy, industrial beats courtesy of Grimes. The beat drop, however, shifts more towards electronic and clanking rhythms.[4] Lafontant wrote how the track is "too dated" and feels like something that has been left off of JPEGMafia's album Veteran.[4] "Blue" features a decent start which devolves into cacophonous guitar leads and stuttering vocal sample drops, which Fantano labeled as premature.[11] "Never Kill Yourself" features Never Goodbye, and is reminiscent of Fishmonger by Underscores.[11] "Meant2B" brings a collage of new ideas and features experimentation, but doesn't follow through with it throughout the track.[11] "Love&Addiction" and "Sorry" feel more or less the same.[11] Lafontant compared "Sorry" to Tyler The Creator's album Igor.[4] On the final track, "God" yet once again sees Proxy dive into individualism, it features uplifting, personal, determined, and self-affirming lyricism[11][12] which is backed over "pretty guitar plucks" and cherubic backing vocals.[4] Sonically, it features a grandiose, lo-fi, heavy alt rock/guitar rock finale, which is reminiscent of a project by Mount Eerie or Weezer.[11]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| TheNeedleDrop | 6/10[11][a] |
| Pitchfork | 7.0[4] |
"Trojan Horse" generated positive reviews from fans and music publications. Music reviewer Anthony Fantano of TheNeedleDrop rated "Trojan Horse" a six out of ten.[11] Olivier Lafontant of Pitchfork gave the album a seven out of ten, writing how the project showcases Proxy's creativity, and has significant potential and imagination, however, it also lacks focus and sometimes sees Proxy's influence shadow his own musical identity.[4] The final track "God" was featured on The Fader's "Songs You Need In Your Life This Week" playlist.[12]
Track listing
All tracks are written and produced by Matt Proxy.[13][14] Additional producers listed below.
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "5" (with Fakemink) |
| 2:15 |
| 2. | "Stars" |
| 3:46 |
| 3. | "Atlanta" | 2:26 | |
| 4. | "All You'll Hear Is My Song In Your Head" |
| 1:15 |
| 5. | "Misery" |
| 4:18 |
| 6. | "New Solution" |
| 2:27 |
| 7. | "Blue" |
| 3:07 |
| 8. | "Never Kill Yourself" (with Never Goodbye) |
| 1:54 |
| 9. | "Meant2B" |
| 2:54 |
| 10. | "Love&Addiction" |
| 2:36 |
| 11. | "Sorry" | 44Adres | 2:17 |
| 12. | "God" (with Current Joys and Never Goodbye) |
| 2:22 |
| Total length: | 33:19 | ||
Notes
- All tracks except "God" are stylized in all caps.
- "5" and "Stars" feature uncredited vocals from Never Goodbye.
- "All You'll Hear Is My Song In Your Head" features uncredited vocals from Jusq.
- "New Solution" features uncredited vocals from Grimes.
- "Blue" features uncredited vocals from Alice Jade.
- "Meant2B" features uncredited vocals from ILUVKXY and Cortex.
- "Sorry" features uncredited vocals from ILUVKXY.
- "iPhone" features uncredited vocals from Aiden Farley.
Sample credits
- "Stars" contains a sample from "Sweet Nothin's" by Brenda Lee
- "Atlanta" contains a sample from "Father" by The Christians, and a sample from "answer" by Tyler, The Creator
- "All You'll Hear Is My Song In Your Head" samples Television by Forth Wanderers.
- "Misery" contains a sample from "Just Too Much To Hope For" by Tammi Terrell, and "Hate Me Now" by Nas.
Personnel
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Notes
- Specifically, Fantano rated it a light to decent six