This song is a real banger and fun to listen to, but for me it doesn't evoke the same emotional connection that Savior did. Although, I think it was an important release for her as it attracted the attention of Cyberpunk fans, exposing her to a wider audience. Just look at the number of videos and her commentary below. Also, can we take a moment to acknowledge her amazing artwork?
"I wrote this song as my submission for the Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty - Growl FM contents. Unfortunately it didn't make it in but I thought I'd release it anyway as Cyberpunk is one of my favourite fictional universes and favourite games.
For anyone interested we had to create a song under 3 minutes, based in universe and had about a month until the due date to write, produce, mix and submit a song, so this one was made a lot faster than I normally write. A lot of people submitted songs and while mine didn't get picked, I was just stoked to get to work on a song for a video game that inspired a lot of my music.
It's a bit different to what I'm working on but I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I did making it." -Noctica (from the original video description)
"Given the fact that Afterlife went way better than I thought it would I thought I'd keep putting out some more content for it. Afterlife is meant to be what a Noctica song would sound like in Night City. While I don't think I'd be a merc I'd probably find the culture interesting and want to sing out it. The second verse was originally meant to be one of those guest vocalist/rapper moment where someone who is a regular at the afterlife drops some bars but I didn't have time to find someone for the part so I did it myself.
This lyric video is a bit of an experiment for me with After Effects, I'm always trying out various methods of emulating old CRT monitors cos I think the aesthetic looks cool (thanks Alien isolation) and I put this lyric video together to do just that." -Noctica (from the lyric video description)
"Here's the instrumental of my Cyberpunk 2077: Growl FM song submission 'Afterlife'. I'm a massive fans of the OST, combat themes from the game and all of that. So I kinda wrote the instrumental to feel a little like the OST a bit because well, who wouldn't want to! I hope you enjoy this version of the song!" -Noctica (from the instrumental video description)
"When I put this song together, I honestly did not write it to be possible to perform live. I thought it'd be a cool challenge to try pull it off. When I wrote this I was going for what an artist like me who is trans would do, I felt like they'd play on the fact they can change their voice and use it as a bit of a gimmick.
I'm still developing the 'airy-fairy grimes' styled vocals and don't have them strong enough that I can easily do them on command so switching between my regular singing and screaming voice and those was honestly super hard and a little out of my voice's ability. I tried my best, it's not perfect and there's a few mistakes but hey, that's what makes it live" -Noctica (from the live one take vocal performance video description)
"Played a show for Halloween in my hometown recently and though it'd be cool to do a Cyberpunk 2077 themed set to celebrate the release of my single afterlife that I wrote for the Growl FM song contest.
Thankfully got a bit of footage of the show so I tried to put together a bit of a live edit out of it all, hope you enjoy this version of the song!" -Noctica (from the live at The Press Basement Bar Tamworth video description)
"Posting this while on tour for anyone that couldn't make it, this was from the first show of the tour in Brisbane and also my first time playing or headlining there, was a really fun way to start the tour" -Noctica (from the live at Tomcat in Brisbane video description)
I do not care if I live or I die
It all the same when this life’s not mine
Don’t wait for me on the other side
I’ll be claiming my place in the afterlife
Eternal life is just a disease
We’ve all caught the bug and we’re down on our knees
Praying to our gods made of ones and zeros
Dysphoria from our very own flesh and bone
I’ll take a chance
I’ll Break the cycle
Chrome the fuck up!
I’m not going cyber-psycho
The rats in the gutter will chew on our bones
Cause the nameless will all find their way back home
I do not care if I live or I die
It all the same when this life’s not mine
Don’t wait for me on the other side
I’ll be claiming my place in the afterlife
I’m a Cyber-werewolf
I forgot the sheep’s clothes
In my villain arc
cos this city got too many heroes
Carbon copy clones
in the chrome
R.I.P the G.O.A.T
to be written on my tombstone
Don’t give a damn
That there’s blood in the sand
Silverhand with the bands
Yeah we’re taking a stand yeah
You know I’ll die for the fans
It’s all a part of the plan
Cut me up
Shoot me down
Choom we’re fucking chroming out
Jackin in’
Ice is bust
Edgerunning right to the top
Gunna need that platinum
Trauma team for when we drop
Maxtac on my block
But we’ll never fucking stop uh
Call the fucking ripperdoc
Time to tune my vision up
Future getting dark ‘saka slipping up
I’m a cyberpunk
Feel it in my heart
I’ve been underground from the start
I do not care if I live or I die
It all the same when this life’s not mine
Don’t wait for me on the other side
I’ll be claiming my place in the afterlife
The afterlife uh uh