Last Friday, 6lack (pronounced “Black”) dropped his newest studio album, Since I have A Lover after, five years after his last album East Atlanta Love Letter.
When the singer-songwriter first entered the R&B sphere, he brought an entirely new sound with his chilly vocals and lyrics centering on the tribulations of relationships and navigating the darker aspects of the human experience. While it’s up for discussion whether he created a new alternative sub-genre of R&B, 6lack definitely left fans wanting more of his unique sound after laying low.
The timestamp for the entire album is approximately an hour, consisting of 19 recorded tracks and two guest features (QUIN on “wunna dem” and Don Toliver on “Temporary”). Upon hearing about the release date, the artist only dropped the title song, “Since I have Lover ” which set the tone for what the rest of the album will sound like.
Surprisingly, we were given a happier and light-hearted sound, a stark contrast from the earlier albums. We can infer that during the artist’s time away from music, he has taken a more appreciative outlook on the growth in his personal and musical journey.
In a press release, 6lack says the new sound is “the highs of having a healthy love, compressed into song format. It’s a note to self that I’m no longer who I was or where I was and that there’s a bigger purpose starting to reveal itself in the things I create”
According to his previous albums, we know the artist is not shy to disclose the harsh realities of post-breakups, spurious rendezvous, and the darker side of the music industry. He portrays his musical world as a place that is broken, devoid of love and compassion. However, he takes an entirely different approach this time around; he says:
“We are simply pushing love because it’s needed. The verses are short and serve as a moment of acknowledgment for how I feel, and the chorus is less of a lyric and more of a feeling. It’s an exhale; it’s a relief, it’s trust, it’s happiness, it’s surreal.”
Check it out! Now playing on Apple Music and Spotify
