When the Orion Sun-sampling “Whatever She Wants” reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 (chart dated March 16), Bryson Tiller not only scored his first unaccompanied Hot 100 top 20 hit in nearly a decade, he and the feat with a sound that deviates significantly from the sultry R&B trap that brought him past chart wins on 2015's “Don't” and 2017's “Wild Thoughts” (featuring Rihanna and DJ Khaled).
Although it's titled “Bonus” in parentheses and tacked onto the end of the album like a victory lap, “Whatever She Wants” serves as the thematic anchor for Tiller's new self-titled LP. Led by a trio of singles including “Whatever She Wants”, “Outside” and “Calypso”, Bryson Tiller, The Grammy-nominated R&B star's fourth studio effort finds his namesake showcasing the diverse multitudes of his sonic profile. From less emotionally conflicted Trapsul variations on big swings to drill-inflected R&B and bubbly Top 40 tunes; Bryson Tiller aims to use sonic experimentation to establish Tiller's monogamous devotion to his lover.
“Attention”, the album's first full-length song, immediately leads the album down this lane. “And baby, when you put it on, there's no competition/ I saw you walk in/ Yeah, and you can tell from my description (It suits him too, girl)/ I'll never fail to mention (How you polish every detail) ,” he shouts over the relatively sparse production from Syk Sense. It's a nice opener, taking listeners into the dark Trapsul soundscape revisited on his latest LP (2020s Anniversary), and corrects the lesson from the unnecessary computer theme that appears sporadically throughout the recording. The utility of “Attention” lies in Tiller's songwriting: It highlights the allure of a particular woman on the track, steering the album several hundred miles away from the deluge of “toxic” female-male R&B that's driven the genre for most of the past decade – a wave of Tiller's own Trapsul is a part, in some respects. Bryson Tiller it's about loving a woman, reminding her why she stands above the rest, and feeling proud to spoil her, simply because it's something you really love to do.
“Attention” is a solid entry point that gives way to more compelling tracks: On “Prize,” he uses his most impressive flow over a strings reminiscent of late '00s Usher and “No Thank You” is a cut specially designed for early Tiller fans who enjoy his unique brand of sing-rapping. Before this record, Tiller was working on his own Slum Tiller mixtape series and lots of it Bryson Tiller derived from this work. Take the Jodeci-sampling “F4U,” the album's penultimate track, for example: It's not clearly in the Slum Village jazz-rap wheelhouse, but Tiller's approach to rapping on this track—one of his best on the entire record – is clearly informed by the time he spent flexing his rap muscle on that SoundCloud mixtape series, as of course is “Whatever She Wants,” the album's gem of “spoil your girl” anthems.
This climax also finds interesting complements in “Rich Boy” and “Ciao!” The first, which takes off Rich Boy's “Throw Some D's,” cuts out the celebratory energy of “Whatever She Wants” and opts for a darker, grimier approach. “Do the most for you, I do it by accident/ He's kidding you, he gotta do it standing up/ He ain't spendin' it on you (Ha), hold it to ransom / If you 'tf–k with broke n—as, ladies, this is your anthem,” he spits. The latter, a delightful rendition of exercise-induced R&B with written contributions from Grammy-winner Leon Thomas III, finds a noticeably more disillusioned Tiller contemplating financial exploitation. “Ciao” takes a second to find its groove, but once Tiller combines its layered background with those clean snares, it creates a striking textural contrast.
In addition to his flirtation with the drill on the new LP, Tiller also dives into another local sound that's been dominating hip-hop lately. The Clara La San-assisted “RAM,” the only proper song to clearly nod to the record's flawless computer theme, finds Tiller using Jersey club drums to record the neurotic feeling of needing to remember why you got in and you chose to stay in the one relationship. “RAM,” along with Victoria Monét's witty duet “Persuasion,” are among the LP's best offerings, highlighting Bryson's tendency to deliver his best work when pushing himself vocally. It's the same reason that “Find My Way” and “Undertow” will stand as the best vocal performances of their career. not only do his dizzying riffs tastefully decorate his haunting melodic lines, but they help emphasize a level of vulnerability that reinforces the gravity of his explorations of monogamy.
Bryson Tiller it's a solid record that honors the star's mid-2010s roots while also showing just how versatile he can be. Some of these selections—like “Calypso,” a summertime anthem in waiting that has nothing to do with actual calypso music—are easy winners, while others (album closer “Assume the Position” is an absolute mess reminiscent of the worst of Chris Brown's early 10s) fall a bit. The record, like most albums these days, could have benefited from some cutting – some of the interludes add nothing of substance, and the relative lack of variation in theme makes the 19-track set feel redundant pretty quickly.
There may be a lot of songs on this record meant for the warmer months, but Bryson Tiller it is built to last in any season. This is for the real lovers, and no one sounds more in love – or happier to be in love – than Mr. Tiller.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/bryson-tiller-self-titled-album-review-1235651451/