So, I took a little break. Awwww, I know y'all miss me, even if no one probably read my freakin' reviews. I've been focusing on school and revision since the start of the month, which led me to not finish my Rapsody review (don't worry, I've pushed it back to March). So, I'm on this one.
October 9, 2014. The day everything changed. Kentucky singer Bryson Tiller was nothing but your normal guy on SoundCloud, tryna make it big, when he released "Don't". He ended up deleting it as he thought it wasn't his best. However, that led to more people calling him up to reupload it, and when he did, everyone actually were digging the track. It would get even better when Drake and Timbaland cosigned it, during the middle of 2015, which attracted more audiences, specifically girls. The major attention got him to a deal with RCA, making Tiller feel comfortable to release another gem, "Exchange" in September, as he announced his debut with RCA, T R A P S O U L for an October release.
T R A P S O U L first premiered in late September on Apple's streaming service, Apple Music, before being out to the public on October 2. The album is Tiller's debut, which was released 4 years after his 2011 mixtape, Killer Instinct (which not many actually know about), and sees the singer riding through the whole album by himself. With songs like "Don't" and "Exchange", we see Tiller bring out a very unique style, merging the banging 808s production with his ambient and chill singing. He goes through a very interesting subject matter, especially when it comes to his newfound success and his business with ladies. The transition from the "Intro (Difference)" to "Let Em' Know" is a prime example. We hear a blurred out instrumental in the first, as Tiller tries to tell a girl that she's different, only to hear a banger on the latter, as he warns everyone that "it's time", as if he's playing no games, as he comes into the music industry.
Most of T R A P S O U L is full of bangers, whether smooth or hardcore, such as the already-mentioned "Let Em' Know". the wavey "Don't", and the slow jam "Exchange". Tiller is very introspective with his subject matter, which manages to go through trying to get a second chance from a girl or seeing how a girl has switched up on him ever since he's gotten famous. With 14 tracks, it's enough to really get his feelings and thoughts out on the album.
Tiller tries a bit of rapping, as he puts on the hardcore bangers for us guys. "Ten Nine Fourteen" is one of my favourite songs, where he raps about his success ever since releasing "Don't", and is a very smooth one, with a killer bass, and a looped sample from a classic Keith Sweat song. "Rambo" is a full-on banger, and the bass is too much on that one. But damn, was I feeling "502 Come Up"! That shit banged, and it really saw Tiller at a very comfortable feel. And "Sorry Not Sorry" is just the anthem for the dudes to say "F U" to the girls that never messed with them until they started popping.
There's also some smooth and more serious tracks on the album too. The short track, "For However Long" is one that showcases his talent a lot, and although I personally think it could've been better, it was still a fine cut on the album. The single, "Exchange" is a serious track, mixing a classic dance sample (KP & Envyi's Swing My Way) with a dark/blurred out feel. "Been That Way" follows Tiller crooning to a past lover that he hasn't changed at all and that he still loves her. The closer, "Right My Wrongs", is slow, sombre and serious, focusing over an argument with his girl, and it's a good way to end it, considering how smooth and calm it sounds, with the sample.
The production on here is so refreshing and innovative, that I love it so freakin' much! The way the album can transition from a slow jam like "Exchange" to a full-on banger like "502 Come Up" is just amazing. I really liked the beat on "Ten Nine Fourteen", that shit really bumped, and Syk Sense flipped that "Nobody" sample well. "Let Em' Know" is another one that I appreciated for its production. It gave a very interesting vibe to it, and there's times where I can blast it non-stop! While I didn't like "Overtime" to be honest, I couldn't deny the fire beat provided on there. And why would I forget the one and only "Don't"? That shit was freakin' wavy, and so ambient, and even if this song is overplayed by the girls and the memes, it's still an impressive song.
T R A P S O U L overall is an album I can vibe to. It's wavy, it's smooth, it's calm, and it's full of bangers, whether for the ladies or for the men. From start to finish, this album is FUEGO! Everything about it was amazing, and Bryson showed off a lot here. It was definitely a reason why I really liked 2015, in terms of music. Hopefully, Tiller can pull off another T R A P S O U L II this year!
Best Songs: "Don't", "Exchange", "Ten Nine Fourteen", "Right My Wrongs", "502 Come Up", "Rambo, "Sorry Not Sorry"
