Written and creatively-directed by X himself, the “Moonlight” video complements the song’s dissonance by manifesting his affliction through a macro dark aesthetic that blankets his reclusion. A genuine artist, X’s talents exceeded his musicality by entertaining outside artistic mediums–one of which was his creative direction that ushered his songs into the visual realm. One of the album’s most popular tracks, “Moonlight”, with over 370mm Spotify streams to date, acutely depicts this diversity by weaving tortured lyrics into a dynamic, head-bumping production. The final album before his passing, ? showcased X’s impressive musical command through an eclectic sonic and conceptual employment, ranging from painful deep cuts to catchy earworms.
The most recent evidence materializes as the music video for his omnipresent song, “Moonlight”, off of the acclaimed ?. With the help of his loyal team, X, born Jahseh Onfroy, continues to grace us with his brilliance through posthumous releases–like the recently-released “Falling Down” with fellow prematurely deceased artist, Lil Peep.
While his physical being has been erased by the hands of murderers, XXXtentaction’s presence still pulsates vibrantly to the beat of his progressive music. Onfroy left behind what Rolling Stone called "a huge musical footprint" due to his impact on his young fanbase and his popularity during his career.It’s been about three-and-a-half months since the tragic passing of XXXtentacion. In the week following his murder, Onfroy's highest-charting single, "Sad!", went from 52nd to 1st on the Billboard Hot 100, making Onfroy the first artist to top the Hot 100 posthumously in a lead role since The Notorious B.I.G., with "Mo Money Mo Problems", in 1997. The attackers fled the scene in an SUV after stealing a bag from Onfroy, and the suspected shooter was arrested by police in his native Pompano Beach, and charged with the murder. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on June 26, 2018.Onfroy died on June 18, 2018, after being gunned down as he left a motorcycle dealership in Deerfield Beach, Florida. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with its singles "Sad!" and "Changes" both reaching the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100. Onfroy's second album, ?, was released on March 16, 2018. The album received a positive response from critics, some of which lauded the album for its personal narratives and diverse musical style. 2 on the US Billboard 200, selling 86,000 album-equivalent units first week. He released his debut album, 17, on August 25, 2017. Well known for his "depressing, and at times devastating" music that brought attention to mental health, Onfroy employed styles and techniques that were unconventional in hip hop during his career, such as distortion and heavy guitar-backed instrumentals drawing inspiration from third-wave emo.Onfroy rose to fame with the release of his song "Look at Me". He was a popular figure in SoundCloud rap, a trap scene that takes elements of lo-fi music and harsh 808s. He began writing music after being released from a youth correction center and released his first song on SoundCloud in June 2013, titled "News/Flock".