TEST PATTERNS’ “SEE YOU LATER” DEFIES GENRES WITH BOLD, ATTENTION-GRABBING EXPERIMENTATION

Big props to Gage Bickerstaff of Test Patterns for refusing to play it safe. On “See You Later,” he steers clear of any single lane, weaving rap, hip-hop, electronic, and alt-pop into a genre-defying sonic collage. At first glance, it might seem like the track is trying to be too many things at once, but somehow, it works well.

Despite the bold stylistic shifts, the song remains surprisingly cohesive, anchored by innovative production and a distinct point of view. It lingers in your head long after the last note fades, thanks to its earworm hooks and thought-provoking lyrics. Bickerstaff tackles themes like individuality, outsider status, tech culture, and light-touch politics with a poetic ease.

There are flashes of influence—James Blake’s introspection, Tyler, the Creator’s genre fluidity, and even echoes of Gil Scott-Heron’s spoken-word gravitas. But ultimately, “See You Later” is all Test Patterns: experimental, boundary-pushing, and fully unbothered by convention. Gage Bickerstaff isn’t just making music—he’s challenging how we experience it.