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whatever works

by a kid named rufus

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1.
whatever works 01:24
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I hate my bills, they keep on piling up I hate the cost of getting older I paid the price of independence Oooh, oh boy, I wish the end comes closer But then it doesn’t It keeps on repeating And I’m so fucking pissed But we keep on believing Whatever works And then it doesn’t It keeps on repeating And I’m so fucking pissed But we keep on believing Whatever works And then it doesn’t It keeps on repeating And I’m so fucking pissed But we keep on believing
2.
the cute girl from brewster hall 01:55
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I met this really cute girl from Brewster Hall We get along so great and she’s all I’m thinking about The way that it sounds when she calls my name She said, “don’t you like guys?” I said, “yeah, I don’t mind but I really like you“ She said, “boy, me too and I’m glad you’re mine” I was working front desk at Brewster Hall She swiped her ID, and she’s all I’m thinking about Since her picture came out Her sugar sweet smile and those hazel eyes She said, “don’t you like guys?” I said, “yeah, I don’t mind but I really like you“ She said, “boy, me too and I’m glad you’re mine” At Brewster Hall At Brewster Ha-aaa-aaa-aall At Brewster Hall At Brewster Ha-aaa-aaa-aall At Brewster Hall At Brewster Ha-aaa-aaa-aall At Brewster Hall At Brewster Ha-aaa-aaa-aall I said, “girl, you’re so kind and I don’t think I’d mind If we kept this for a while and it’s all on your time” I know that way down the line I’ll tell my stories about you
3.
how sweet does this sound? 02:48
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How sweet does it sound when you call me a whore? Degrade me for my looks and come back for more An object, a project, a fantasy Tell me “no one fucks you good like me” Lead me on and put me on a leash The color of my skin is the only thing you like about me But I’ve been too blind to see This is just a game and I don’t know how I don’t know how To say goodbye I don’t know how How sweet does it sound when I call you a good girl? Let me come and fuck up your world I love the way that you roll your eyes back Clench your toes Don’t you dare bite back Lead you on and put you on a leash I love it when you run your dirty little mouth but please Don’t get too close to me This is just a game and I don’t know how I don’t know how To say goodbye I don’t know how And the worst part is none of this is real And it’s so hard to make you make you want me And the worst part is none of this is real And it’s so hard to make you make you want me I don’t know how I don’t know how To say goodbye I don’t know how
4.
eighteen (feat. Cole Bauer) 01:51
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Driving all night with you Driving all night with you We got caught by the cops trespassing on our old school lot Driving all night with you Driving down your old street Looking at the Lower East Side Hoping that you’re happy, or at least alright And I was only eighteen, I’m not a teen no more I saw someone like you, felt compelled to write you Take me back to Driving all night with you Driving all night with you We got caught by the cops trespassing on our old school lot Driving all night with you Driving all night with you Driving all night with you We got caught by the cops trespassing on our old school lot Driving all night with you Moving across the world is the most dreadful thing you can do A 37-hour flight just so that you can seek better opportunity In a place that you know is gonna give you Everything that you’ve always wanted And there’s no running away Mom and Dad aren’t there anymore, you have to fend for yourself It’s crazy, but, I think it might be worth it
5.
moving across the world sucks 00:23
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Moving across the world is the most dreadful thing you can do A 37-hour flight just so that you can seek better opportunity In a place that you know is gonna give you everything That you’ve always wanted And there’s no running away Mom and Dad aren’t there anymore, you have to fend for yourself It’s crazy, but, I think it might be worth it
6.
tryhard 02:53
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It’s been a wild time getting myself together Living alone has been stressing me out without a doubt But we live by the skyline We made it through Our bad days are behind us Cheers to you But lately It sounds like your life got a little bit crazy The stress in your mind made it a little bit hazy But you don’t have to try hard $5000 debt I can barely stay erect Sildenafil, fluoxetine, I needed more than oxygen Trauma from a [gangbang], orgies and a mad man This city is a fucking mess and LA is an equal wreck Mom, Dad, pick up the phone Nothing ever feels like home Convoluted, petrified, is it like this all the time? I just need to find my pride Do I need an alibi? My cranium is fragile Fuck it though, that’s life But lately It sounds like your life got a little bit crazy The stress in your mind made it a little bit hazy But you don’t have to try hard But lately It sounds like your life got a little bit crazy The stress in your mind made it a little bit hazy But you don’t have to try hard
7.
liability 03:43
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Honestly you’re a liability There is no space in my bank account For you and your friends amounts Honestly you’re a liability There is no space in my bank account I need to know exact amounts When did I score so low? What’s a personal loan? My money endowed when I bought you a crown If I make it I’mma spend it, there ain’t no way to end it I’m draining every penny every time I get a paycheck I live a life of luxury so I can feel like royalty Spending all my royalties on Nobu upper east Now, the only change I kept Pockets full of common sense Guess you can’t buy happiness All you end up with is debt Now I stuff every last dollar in my mattress Now I’m only barely twenty But the bills are adding up I asked my dad for help But then he called me on my bluff I wasn't even lying This life is terrifying If teardrops equaled dollars I would spend the whole day crying Now, there’s barely 50 cents And I missed my bus to Penn I'll be outta luck unless I write a hit or reassess I'm on 42nd tryna learn my lesson Honestly you’re a liability There is no space in my bank account For you and your friends amounts Honestly you’re a liability There is no space in my bank account I need to know exact amounts When did I score so low? (Low, low, low, low) What’s a personal loan? (Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh) My money endowed when I bought you a crown (Ooooh, oooh, oooh, oooh) Woooooo! I want you to be my baby daddy Yeah, I really want to marry you, wooohooo! Lovely Haha
8.
running away from whatever you call paradise 03:28
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Mmm, I’m running away, away, away, yeah Oh, I’m running away Five, six, seven, eight I can’t explain how things have changed I don’t watch TV anymore Cause now I got bills to pay I made my Mom pay dues she cannot afford Even though it’s scary It’s something I have to ignore No, I will get out of this hole, I swear But, I’m upset because I’m feel like I’m losing grip over myself, a little bit Like, this last week I’ve been exhausted Absolutely drained, exhausted I’m so tired, I don’t even wanna go to class Um, I’ve had laundry sitting in the fucking washer for two days I just put it in the dryer I gotta fold all that shit Um, I’m just depressed I’ll keep running, running, running, running away I’m running away My problems are always here to stay Running, running away I’m running away I’m running away My problems are always here to stay I’m running away Running running away My problems are always here to stay Running running away I’m running away I’m running away I miss my Dad and my Mommy’s away I wish I could help my sister
9.
i hate being cool 03:33
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What, what’s funny? It’s funny I fucking meant' it Your fucking face Oooooooh She said she ain’t got no nipple Fuck I just miss my Fridays Spend my whole day sideways No one wonders where or when or how I’ve been I just spent my payday at some stupid party They asked if I’m an artist I say please don’t talk about it There’s something ‘bout the center of attention Begs for intervention Oh, I forgot to tell you that I hate being cool So please don’t tell your friends, ‘think we should just pretend I’m not nothing new and I hate being cool for me But there was nothing good about the way it used to be I forgot to mention, I don’t want your number or your Instagram Or, God forbid, your OnlyFans I’m not in the mood to answer all your questions I beg for intervention, makes me wanna mention Oh, I forgot to tell you that I hate being cool So please don’t tell your friends, ‘think we should just pretend I’m not nothing new and I hate being cool for me But there was nothing good about the way it used to be Done It was that easy!
10.
a conversation between ian and dan 00:10
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You’re a Weezer fan, you don’t have sex Can you please just? That’s why I was soft about it I didn’t wanna insult you like that Shhhhhh, you’re disturbing the process
11.
stuck in san antonio 02:33
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21 hours, expecting eternity of life and laughter I caught you drinking and driving I looked for my passport It’s not what I asked for but it’s all because Maybe this isn’t my crowd or I don’t like the person I’m after Why did I think about coming down if it didn’t matter to you? I ask because How did I end up stuck in San Antonio? Was it my fault? Did we make that trip too early or were we bound to fall? In San Antonio Don’t tell me how you got dumped or how your friends fell in love Or how I possibly like your best friend sitting across I’m trying to figure you out, I hate that I’m having doubts I called your number last night to say I left your town How did I end up stuck in San Antonio? Was it my fault? Did we make that trip too early or were we bound to fall? In San Antonio You can put that at the end of a song now, hahaha This is Rufus, um, I just wanted to say hi Alright, bye
12.
everybody hates me 02:26
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Why does everybody look at me that way? Was it something else or something that I said? Do I gotta go and make another change? Yeah, I don’t even like myself cause you don’t even like me Do you believe me now? I had to fix myself somehow Wish I had common sense to disconnect But, everybody hates me, they don’t really say it Woah Everybody hates me, they don’t really say it Woah Can we just pretend like we don’t talk about it? Wish you would’ve told me what you knew about it But, everybody hates me, they don’t really say it Woah I need to think about If it’s embarrassing to tell Them all of my problems, if I can solve them Before I hurt myself some more Do you believe me now? I had to fix myself somehow Wish I had common sense to disconnect But, everybody hates me, they don’t really say it Woah Everybody hates me, they don’t really say it Woah Can we just pretend like we don’t talk about it? I wish you would’ve told me what you knew about it Wo-oa-aa-a-oh Everybody hates me, they don’t really say it Woah Everybody hates me, they don’t really say it I’ve been on my own, I’ve been crying in my basement I can see you smile when I’m anxious No, I would rather die than be patient Everybody hates me, they don’t really say it I’ve been on my own, I’ve been crying in my basement I can see you smile when I’m anxious I would rather die

about

“whatever works” is an album about Rufus’ first year in the United States. It talks about homesickness, adulting, love, lust, responsibilities, and all the struggles they faced as they start a new life.

Transitioning into adulthood is already a hideous process, even under the best of circumstances. For Malaysian-born bedroom-pop performer Rufus Sivaroshan (they/them), who performs as a kid named rufus, leaving home was exponentially more challenging. Today, 20-year-old Rufus is thriving at Syracuse University, where they major in music business while simultaneously fostering a burgeoning music career. The obstacles in their journey, however, are captured on their open-hearted, ultra-catchy debut LP, titled "whatever works" via Nettwerk.

“The thing that stuck out to me, as I was starting to write this album, was that I had been in the US for a year, and I’d undergone a lot of changes,” rufus adds. “Moving here, navigating adult life on my own without any parental supervision or support. I wanted to write about all those experiences. Figuring out my life here in the States, everything is different. The way people act is different. Everything was unpredictable. Every single life instance that I talk about on the album was unpredictable. So how do you deal with things that are unpredictable? You say fuck it, and you just go with the flow. Whatever works.”

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released July 14, 2023

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a kid named rufus Syracuse, New York

Transitioning into adulthood is already a hideous process, even under the best of
circumstances. For Malaysian-born bedroom-pop performer Rufus Sivaroshan, leaving home was exponentially more challenging. The obstacles in their journey are captured on their open-hearted, ultra-catchy debut
LP, a vibrant collection
touching on themes of homesickness, adulting, love, lust, culture shock, and more. ... more

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