Review: Dominic Fike - 'Rocket' Album

Dominic Fike is back – and better than ever, with his new mixtape ‘Rocket’.

As a known storyteller, Dominic Fike sharpens his voice into something both intimate and uniquely self-assured. This album isn’t loud or explosive – it gracefully implodes, drawing you into the creative world of the singer, where vulnerability and swagger walk hand in hand.

With this mixtape, Dominic Fike continues to blur the lines between alt-pop, hip-hop, and indie rock, but equally creates harmony within the three genres. ‘Rocket’ isn't about liftoff – the mixtape explores the moments before and after, the emotional gravity Dominic carries and shares with us, alongside the quiet resilience it takes to keep moving forward. It’s a beautifully written mixtape that hits you softly and leaves you deeply impacted.

With 12 songs, the mixtape lasts only 25 minutes, but this only adds to Dominic’s creative world. With the opening track, ‘All Hands on Deck’ Dominic explores themes of pressure, mortality and survival. He opens with the lines “Death is a state of mind / But I’m not, I’m real”, emphasising the fragility and existential reflection that he is going through – the title ‘All Hands on Deck’ encapsulating that this is a generational urgency, a sense of doom that we all share. Fike encapsulates the hardship of the music industry, stating there are "starving dying artists” that are all caught in the same existential grind – trying to find purpose in your life and motivation to keep you going.

Throughout the mixtape, we can see that one of Dominic’s key motivational factors is his son, who he introduced to the world on the Lollapalooza stage and coincidentally performed ‘All Hands on Deck’  in front of. Dominic Fike often ties in family elements into his music, another example of this being the song ‘Mama’s boy’ from his last album, ‘Sunburn’.

Further throughout the album, we are introduced to the song ‘Great Pretender’, track five of the mixtape, and personally my favourite song. ‘Great Pretender’ stands out as a vivid, upbeat, and emotionally sharp track where Dominc Fike confronts the facade of his former lover – or someone we can assume is in his orbit, who hides their true personality behind a polished exterior. Some key lyrics that stand out are “The influencer who always spoke so kindly / You got your friends and your intricate web / But they don't know how sorry you are to the naked eye”, highlighting the contrast between words that sound sincere versus a sincerity that is clearly missing. 

The track dives into themes of deception, performative charm, and emotional distance. Fike critiques someone in the song directly, but also indirectly calls out his audience that has mastered the art of looking kind and composed, but only under watchful gazes. It's a biting, yet artful deconstruction of hollow-minded individuals who value appearances rather than real feelings. 

‘Rocket’ is not only a record full of emotional honesty – it is also sonically rich, mixing lo-fi beats with lush instrumentation. There are moments of tranquillity and peace, like the atmospheric track ‘Smile’, where Dominic’s vocals are exceedingly strong, his falsetto effortlessly gliding over soft melodies, but there is also a sense of urgency which can be heard through the rhythmic intensity in the track ‘Upset & Aggressive’.

What makes ‘Rocket’ stand out is Dominic Fike’s notable vulnerability. He does not hide behind hooks or flossy production; instead he opens up, and makes an album that is uniquely his, speaking of his struggles, doubts, and the complexity of fame. He is not afraid to diss the industry he is a part of, which is a unique change of pace in the music world.

By the time you reach the final track, it’s clear that Dominic Fike isn’t just experimenting with sounds; he is finding new ways to tell his story, one that is messy, complex, and apologetically real, mixing personal dynamics with fatherhood. ‘Rocket’ isn't about reaching the stars – it’s about looking inward and embracing the contradictions that make us human. In doing so, Dominic Fike has crafted something that resonates with his audience long after the mixtape ends.

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Written by Perrine Guilman for Ceol Magazine.

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