Tag: sweet

Day 38: Sunrise In The East by Becky Hill

It’s a rarity that Becky Hill is credited on a song when not accompanied by an up and coming dance music act or DJ, yet Sunrise In The East could be one of her standout records.

She competed on the UK’s first series of The Voice andfrom there has gone on to releasesome huge hits with MK, including Piece Of Me and Back and Forth, as well as Gecko (Overdrive) with Oliver Heldens which boasts over 140 million streams on Spotify. Having also worked with the likes of MNEK and Wilkinson, she has established herself as one of the go-to vocalists for dance artists.

Sunrise In The East was released in 2018 and is classic Hill; sultry, RnB vocals that quiver with emotion and fit beautifully over an ADP produced synth beat. She wrote the track with Maverick Sabre and Lost Boy and the pop elements come through by the bucket load. Warm and inviting, the track feels like a ready-made chart hit that has been carefully constructed to do so. Having said that, there is a rawness to her lyrics that reflect her modest upbringing.

In interviews, she has talked about music being her solace as a young teen, with there always being a song to turn to that knew how she felt. She wants to spark that in her audience and recreate that bond between music and listener. Not only do her vocals enable that connection, but her lyrics are also powerful and relatable to the masses. No wonder, then, she has enjoyed the successes she has.

 

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex

Day 10: SWEET by BROCKHAMPTON

It’s refreshing to find a self-proclaimed boyband that are pushing boundaries and stereotypes in hip-hop music. BROCKHAMPTON were formed in San Marcos, Texas in 2015 and have a fairly exhaustive roster:

  • Kevin Abstract, Matt Champion, Merlyn Wood, Dom McLennon (vocalists)
  • Joba, Bearface (vocalists/producers)
  • Romil Hermani, Jabari Manwa, Kiko Merley (producers)
  • Henock Sileshi (graphic designer)
  • Ashlan Gray (photographer)
  • Roberto Ontenient (web designer)
  • Jon Nunes (Manager)

A true multi-media group, BROCKHAMPTON can probably attribute their rapid rise in the culture to a relentless attitude to releasing quality bodies of work. Since their debut mixtape All American Trash in 2016, they released the Saturation trilogy of projects across the last 6 months of 2017 and have since started their second trilogy with the September 2018 album Iridescence. They have gone from strength to strength across a number of art forms and have been likened, lyrically and operationally, to Odd Future.

Today’s track is the final single released during a promotional run in the run-up to Saturation II. SWEET epitomises what BROCKHAMPTON are about; a unique instrumental (this one drawing on strong Middle Eastern influences), lyrically diverse and dense verses from their plethora of vocalists and a brilliantly produced package that provides another string to an ever-growing bow.

What really stands out across their discography is how they challenge notions of masculinity in hip-hop and media in general. Kevin Abstract, the group’s founder after asking for ban members on forum KanyeToThe, is one few hip-hop/black artists that are openly gay (amongst some serious talented company in Tyler The Creator and Frank Ocean). He is very eloquent and honest in his ambitions of breaking down barriers, speaking in an interview with BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac he said “I don’t want to be labelled as ‘queer rapper’, I just want to be a rapper,”. He went on to state “I have to exist in a homophobic space in order to make change and that homophobic space would be the hip hop community. So me just existing and being myself is making change and making things easier for other young queer kids. I want to be me and express that and break new ground along the way. We embrace transparency. Hip hop’s all about expression that’s why I got into it.” This really feels like the start of a new, refreshing divergence in hip-hop music and BROCKHAMPTON are doing their part to be the change they want to see in the community.

 

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex