Song of the week is our weekly column highlighting the best new songs. Find these new favorites and more in our Spotify best songs playlist and to see other great songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify new sounds play list. This week, Vince Staples hits hard with “Black&Blue”, a cut from his new album Dark times.
The enigmatic and always captivating Vince Staples has returned with his new LP, dark times, a moving project that finds the rapper exploring systemic inequality and detailing stories of personal growth. Throughout dark timesStaples’ pen is sharp and his beat selection is second to none, a standard quickly set by the album’s excellent opener, “Black&Blue.”
Following the wind chimes and ambiance of the album's intro, “Close Your Eyes and Swing,” “Black&Blue” wakes up the listener with a strong drum beat and a repeated piano note, both taken from “Weak for.” Thee Sacred Soul. Your love.” When Staples enters, the beat continues to develop, becoming increasingly dreamier with the addition of syrupy guitars and buckets of delay.
Staples uses this soundscape to examine the systems he was raised in, analyzing Reaganomics and wondering where it all leads along the way. “Maybe we live in haram, we can't go to prom, send me a prayer / To the heavens, is it a mansion for thugs?” he raps. “Where did Tupac and them go? Where are Nipsey Hus and them going?/Swavey and Drakeo? Riche and Slim Foe?
As if the lyrics and beat didn't already make for a compelling enough listen, the incredibly catchy chorus kicks in to wrap everything up in a big black and blue bow. It's an amazing setup for dark timesand when the album closes, “Black&Blue” makes you want to climb it again from the top.
— Jonas Krueger
Editorial assistant
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