1. (tie) Denzel Curry- Melt My Eyez See Your Future
When I listen to Denzel, I think, THIS is rap. This is the groove. This is the balance of all the elements that make rap great. Lyrics, flow, music, r&b, catchiness, memorability, wisely using guests, shining your gifts, staying unique in the game. No Miami rapper is taking on rap style in the way Curry does.
This is my favorite sign of a good album. It keeps climbing up the list. Many times I will have an early favorite get passed up as more albums come out. It is rare one keeps climbing. But, this went from outside my top twenty in the summer to a tie for number one in the end. There isn’t a bad song on this album.
Denzel Curry: Melt My Eyez See Your Future
Denzel Curry likes to power up. His delivery-half war cry, half panic attack-tends to intensify over the course of a verse, his flows gaining speed, his voice hardening like a hand becoming a fist. That aggressive style, and the frenetic, bass-boosted beats that accompanied it, helped define the South Florida scene that birthed SoundCloud rap, but Curry’s most memorable music often departs from that template.
That Pitchfork review stated it didn’t contain any ragers or bangers. Not sure if I agree with that, but if I did, I would say that’s why the album works. None of the songs take center stage. It allows every song to breathe on its own and create continuity as a whole. Every guest works for me. Robert Glasper, J.I.D. Rico Nasty, T-Pain, Slowthai, Thundercat, among tons of others. I felt many reviews sold this album short. I liken it to somthing like Black Country, New Roads and The Viagra Boys making so many top lists this year. I love those artists. Both of them made it high on my list last year. I didn’t feel the same about the 2022 releases. I think many were married more to Denzel’s edge.
My favorite track is “Zatiochi” featuring slowthai, the British rapper, starting to really take off. Which honestly is unlike any other song on the album. Much of the album is so smooth that the break of pace on
“Zatiochi” is startling. It being with slowthai make that edge occur too, my boys describe slowthai as
“Sid from Toy Story vibes, unique and gritty” – Miles
A review that agrees with me.
Denzel Curry – ‘MELT YOUR EYEZ SEE YOUR FUTURE’ review: unexpectedly soothing melodies
Denzel Curry’s fourth studio album, 2019’s ‘ZUU’, was full of high-octane mosh-pit classics that sounded like the sticky heat of a summer in his native Florida. For album five, he’s opted for a more mellow aural experience.
What movies inspired him for this project?
Spotify on Instagram: “Melt your eyez and queue these flicks up for your next movie night 🎥”
Spotify shared a post on Instagram: “Melt your eyez and queue these flicks up for your next movie night 🎥”. Follow their account to see 4143 posts.
Denzel Curry
null