As R&B continues to find it’s way, meshed with rap, with the radio friendly/club hit dictating the direction, the more traditional soul sound has found itself in the shadows and often overlooked. So as the sound itself is not heralded as deserved, naturally, so are the musicians. I often give credit to PartyNextDoor and Ty Dolla $ign as musicians leading the new surge, with attention to songwriting, production and harmonies, capturing the classic essences with a more new-age delivery, and as more acts begin to breakthrough the barriers, with the likes of Jacquees, Ye Ali and Brent Faiyaz (to name a few), I recently came across an act, who is as futuristic as he is nostalgic, like a modern day one man Jodeci. Introducing TYuS..
His previous work shows those very essences, from the music to the visuals themselves, for example, I came across the video for his track Count On Me, and it reminded me of Usher’s Nice & Slow, only to dig further and find his cover of that song itself. Other songs like the underrated Between Us, highlight his fusion of old and new, and one of the more stronger vocal presences of artists out today. His recent EP, Phases, is 6 tracks of modern day R&B. Majority produced by himself, executive produced by none other than Hit-Boy, it’s a journey of emotions, crafted with mix of tempos, each song well written and executed even better. Starting with the strong, Think About Me
It helps not only introduce the artist, but establish the direction of the project overall. With it’s heavy bassline and soft melody, TYuS is able to vocally weave the feel of the record, something that he does effortlessly throughout his music. He has a natural tone that many try to emulate through autotune, this gives you that more subtle sounding tone, and any effects use are merely to add dimension to the song. Tracks like Get Down and Brand New showcase his versatility between a ballad and a club hit, where a song like Advice can be interpreted as a strong radio single. As much as his songwriting abilities are to be noted, with the way he orchestrates the melody, it’s his understanding to use his voice accordingly that helps give you a different experience with each song.
Phases, is a great addition for those already aware of the talent, whilst serving as an adequate introduction for new listeners, with a well chosen range of songs, and overall possesses that quality of playback value, with each track providing something different. I find myself having my favourites but then it changes over time, the more you listen. I’m surprised that he has managed to go under the radar for as long, I tend to think being in England is the case, but Warner need to recognise the potential and push him further because it is an injustice that he is not already being regarded as one of the hottest new talents out.
Click artwork to listen on Spotify
ONE Fáris 