“Reasons” feels different from any other Cautious Clay song. It’s lined with exuberant hip-hop elements; starting with a deep guitar riff then swiftly back into a rhythmic beat. Keeping his harmonic background vocals and soaring alto notes as he croons about making mistakes, changes, and being honest.
“I did it all for the no, I did it all for the no good reasons, I said it all for the need, I always knew you would change like seasons” Clay preaches on the chorus. “Reasons” is edgy and urgent, unlike the slower yet philosophical themes of Clay’s previous work.
The Brooklyn-native is working on an EP to be released early next year.
“Summertime Magic” and “Feels Like Summer” couldn’t be more summer if they tried. Play this out on your boat and slowly feel all your worries slip away. Gambino captures the full essence of summer in two fresh new tracks he fittingly calls the Summer Pack.
“Magic” features a slight electro/tropical beat while Gambino sweetly sings, “is it summertime magic that makes me wanna dance all night long?” A dance-esque pulse soon takes over. Try NOT to dance. I dare you.
“Feels Like Summer” has a smooth retro feel to it. This one could’ve been plucked right out of the 70’s with pleasant oo’s and aa’s echoing in the background. If you play the two songs back to back, you almost can’t tell the difference; it just feels like one continuous stream of playful soundscapes.
Through a haze of crooked finger peace signs, crisp white shoes, and squinty stoned eyes, Blackbear promotes himself; on Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, and he does it well. Remaining unsigned to any record label, he has no strings attached to anyone but himself. He releases his songs on Soundcloud before they even hit Spotify or iTunes. Fans go nuts and practically beg him to let them buy it. That’s how you know you’re onto something special.
After recently announcing his musical collaboration with Mike Posner titled, “Mansionz”, Blackbear ( born Matthew Tyler Musto) is back with a brand new solo single and plans for an album release on, you guessed it, 4/20.
The song, “Make Daddy Proud” appeared on Soundcloud Monday night, making fans squeal with joy at the sounds of some new Bear. “Proud” lets electronic tid-bits take the front seat as we’ve heard on his previous tracks like 2016’s”Wanderlust” and “Flirt Right Back.” Mixing hip-hop beats with electronic synths and chords seem to be his niche making him an easy crossover into the pop genre. A surprisingly charming falsetto sings, “Tell me how do you cope with it? how do you sleep with yourself at night?” The money-littered chorus praises a woman for spending Daddy’s money. His lyrics preach a subtle mix of encouragement and sexism, but the beat is too dominant to ignore.
As usual, along with the new release, came corresponding merch; orange hats (matching what seems to be the artwork for his new album) that read, “Let’s Make Daddy Proud Again.” I’m sure they’ll sell out more than coffee on Monday morning. The Pennsylvania native has a brand and sure knows how to sell it. Fans in the Beartrap support him every step of the way, selling out shows, merch, and his music.
His new EP, WILDCARD is just that; wild, sexy, and raw. With song titles like, “Rehab,” “Pray,” and “Roll w/U” it’s hard not to imagine the themes that plague this 5-song trip through experimental R&B/hip-hop. Pettros keeps a sauve nonchalant voice throughout each song, making his musical imprint a unique one.
“Rehab” becomes a soothing hymn reminiscent of a racy song you’d hear by The Weeknd. His lackadaisical pronunciations don’t hinder the song, instead, they add to the drainingly edgy sound heard throughout. Pettros sings, “I don’t wanna lie no more” as he talks about the influence of drugs. The song flows directly into the piano driven “Pray” which takes R&B and puts it in a blender with a mixture of alt/electronic sounds. He keeps his verses borderline rap with unique melodic phrasing; something not many people can do well. Most of the verses are poetic and beautiful; “Could it be so many moving pieces?”, “Is it all in my head? no.” The repeating piano melody playing throughout the song adds a contrast that you don’t often hear with R&B/Rap lyrics.
Teaming up with R&B newcomer, Blackbear, Pettros brings hip-hop to the forefront with “Paper” as he brags about gold on his chain, boats in Jamaiica, etc. Blackbear slides in on the chorus with his punchy distinct voice singing, “I got control, I got control of this paper, baby and I’m a smooth operator.” These two make you wish there was a joint album in the works.
Pettros is quickly paving his way through the R&B/hip-hop world and WILDCARD is a fierce push in the right direction.
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