Sam Fang
Are there actually any girls out there doing it like Chase Icon?
There probably are, but Chase has carved out such a uniquely Chase lane that it’s hard to think of anyone quite operating on her wavelength. She’s unapologetically herself, completely free in her presentation, and — perhaps most importantly — having an absolute blast while doing it. Watching her musical evolution over the years has been one of the more fascinating journeys in pop’s underground.
With “BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME,” that evolution continues. The song keeps the wit and irreverence that have become synonymous with Chase, including the gloriously ridiculous flex, “I got more phones than a Best Buy.”
Elsewhere, she delivers the kind of pop-culture-laced one-liners that make her music so much fun: “My watch don’t TikTok, fuck a FYP / I’m a Barbie doll, I ain’t talking Miss Robbie,” and the wonderfully simple declaration, “Any day that ends with y is a payday.”
Then there’s the chorus: “Double up the bands, give it to the next guy / Sorry I’m the bestest, better luck next time.” Far from subtle. But it wouldn’t slap so hard if subtlety was in play.
Chase Icon Knows Exactly Who She Is
“BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME” isn’t necessarily Chase Icon’s most adventurous song sonically. In fact, coming off Icon Baby, that’s probably the biggest hurdle it faces.
Icon Baby was a relentless, can’t-skip experience. It felt excessive in the best possible way, throwing bubblegum pop, camp, sex appeal and sheer chaos at the listener with seemingly no interest in moderation. “BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME” feels more like a natural continuation of that world, though it’s far from a radical reinvention of it.
The production is considerably more pared back, allowing Chase’s seductive delivery to do much of the heavy lifting. And it works. There’s something particularly satisfying about hearing an artist who knows exactly how to sell a line, and Chase absolutely knows how to sell a line. And probably do a few other things with it.
The song may not have the same immediate “holy shit, what am I listening to?” quality that made Icon Baby so exciting, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Not every new release needs to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes you just want to watch Chase Icon in the driver’s seat.
Better Luck Next Time’s Music Video Is Where Things Get Really Interesting
If the song represents a continuation of Chase’s sound, the “BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME” music video feels like a glimpse at where she’s going next. The production levels feel like another step up for an artist who has spent years operating much closer to the underground.
This isn’t some astronomical, label-funded pop spectacle, but it honestly doesn’t need to be, either. What matters is that Chase is clearly moving beyond her under-the-radar indie beginnings and building something that feels increasingly polished, intentional and hers.
The video hints at an era that could be bigger, bolder and considerably more stylish than anything we’ve seen from her before. She’s still unmistakably Chase Icon, but the world around her is getting larger.
And then, because of course she does, she hits us with the Holli Would dance from Cool World. There’s something wonderfully Chase Icon about taking a piece of cult pop-culture history, turning it into a thirst trap and then casually reminding everyone watching: “If you wanna beef with Chase, that’s on you, girl.” Nailed it.
Better Luck Next Time, Indeed
The most exciting thing about “BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME” isn’t necessarily the song itself, but the future that it suggests.
Chase Icon has already proven that she can make something completely her own. Icon Baby demonstrated just how compelling that combination of camp, pop culture, sexuality, humor and genuine pop instinct can be. Now she’s entering a phase where she seems to have more resources, more confidence and a bigger canvas to work with.
If Chase can take the ingenuity and sheer personality of Icon Baby and combine it with the elevated production and presentation we’re beginning to see here, her next chapter will be incredible. That level of confidence she has is more than earned and, well, sorry to everyone else but… better luck next time.
