12 months ago, for the first time in forever, it looked like US R&B wasn’t leading the pack. It seemed like urban music was scrambling behind a bunch of MJ influenced, EDM based, self-interested “black pop” stars and had nothing to say. The only alternative was a series of increasingly staged hip hop set piece superstar records. Which had plenty to say but it was all bombastic and for music in general that wasn’t good, making it feel like the car had no engine.
The tragic events of Charleston, Staten Island and Ferguson have changed all that. Out of those protests a string of fire breathing angry releases have followed and changed the game again.
We’re thinking of D’Angelo’s majestic Black Messiah (arguably it took anger to get him to finally release) and the jazz based anger of Kendrick’s To Pimp a Butterfly. But there have been so many more – from Lauryn Hill’s Black Rage to Alicia Keys’ We Gotta Pray as amongst a bunch of others.
It’s not just because we really like Blood Orange that we feel this one deserves special mention. Dev Hynes isn’t American, so the itch he scratches is perhaps even more universal but the piece is full of rage and the anger is just as real. It comes complete with a great Mapplethorpe photograph and of course, the production is amazing -
It’s definitely going to be a track of the year but unfortunately won't be on the new album.
Make sure you hear it.
From really bad seeds maybe great trees grow?
-TH
Further listening - Adding more Fuel To The Fire is the latest from Rationale -