I recently sat down with up-and-coming US rapper, C Woodz, for his first ever UK interview!
Among other things, we spoke about his influences, how he got into music, and the meaning behind last year’s EP, ‘Born in October’. It was awesome to get the opportunity to chat with such a humble, but clearly driven, artist, and it was refreshing to hear him talk about the positive effect he hopes to have on his fans, and his ambitions for the future. Check out the interview below!
How does it feel coming off the back of the release of your new single, ‘Drip or Drown’?
I love creating music, it feels good. Every single I release is a big moment. The video’s coming soon too! Is there a new album on the horizon? The album right now is not together. There’s a collection of singles that I’m focussing on - I’m going to release 6 of them over the next six months. The album, that’ll be sometime next year. You recently shot the video for ‘Please Don’t’ in London. In the song you say you flew there without a case - is that true?! I actually did! I go to London like twice a year, I love it there. Also ‘Please Don’t’, that song was one of my favourites off the EP ‘Born in October’. In ‘Please Don’t’, you sing 'Please don't send them my way'. What are you referring to here? Basically, it’s my experience when I first went to London, my first experience, I was so happy just being out there. The city showed so much love, I was inspired by the people, and how they gravitated to my music. It was all very overwhelming, so yeah, it was inspired by my first experience going to London. “Please don’t send them my way” is basically talking about negativity, don’t send me any negativity. You can relate that to anything.
You mentioned recently that “It’s time for me to reroute my message”, and your recent pack of singles, ‘Different Smoke’, was full of lots of positivity, love, and was about you dedicating yourself to your girl. How would you describe this new message, and what side of C Woodz are we going to be getting from now on?
As far as that, the whole concept is about changing up the direction of my lyrics. I’m in a different space now. Going forward, when I am dropping new projects, I really want people to hear a different perspective to my old music. I basically want to impact people differently, and not just talk about the same things, but still give them the same impact in that transition. As far as visuals, lyrics, when I’m writing them, everything is rerouted to get a different perspective. Which artists inspire you the most? That’s kinda tough! I’m inspired by a lot of artists. First off, the rapping side of me was inspired by Lil Wayne. I’ve been listening to him since the age of 8. Then there was the transition where Chris Brown came along. Also other artists like Tory Lanez, Meek Mill, all of those artists, they inspire me, along with others. You talk about being inspired by these artists. How does it feel to be in a position where you are inspiring your fans, and you are a role model to them? Do you feel any pressure in this responsibility? I treat that as a proud moment, I’m just starting to see people gravitate to my music, loving my lyrics, reciting them in videos. It’s great. There’s no pressure at all, it actually drives me to produce more music that they want to listen to. I love that feeling. 
What was the mentality behind your first EP ‘Born in October’, which you released last year? What space were you in when you wrote that?
When I was creating it, this was one of the first projects I really sat down and thought through. I wanted to do it the right way. ‘Born in October’ has acronyms, symbolism, there’s a lot of meaning in there. First off, I was born in October, that was the first symbolisation. Secondly, I felt reborn again, going through the process of creating that music. Basically I just wanted to give everybody that was born in October, or whatever month they were born in, to connect with this EP. Because when I was creating it, with each song I was going through different emotions and trials, and I was putting those things in my music. I was feeling recreated, rejuvenated, and reborn, and it added a whole different perspective to who I was. I felt brand new. What’s the thinking behind the album cover, which shows a figure meditating in the grasp of a dragon’s claw? The whole meditation part, that’s an actual silhouette of me sitting down, just meditating and relaxing. That whole image just symbolises me feeling born again. The dragon that you see, that’s to symbolise luck. Also, when you think of a typical lucky number, what number do you think of? 7. That’s the reason there’s seven songs, the dragon is lucky, it’s all a symbol of completion. Feeling completed as I was writing this music. I really want people to hear a different perspective to my old music. I want to impact people differently What direction do you see the future of Hip Hop going in? Does 'mumble rap’ have a future? When I think about Hip Hop and R&B, I think that it’s all about life right now. You know, when you see an old tree, and it’s been there for hundreds of years, it may look old but it continues to grow. That’s how I look at music, it’s going to continue to grow and evolve. No matter where we are at, great music lasts forever. Mumble rap ain’t gonna stick around, because people want to hear something that’s going to keep them sustained when they’re going through certain things. The music is going help them get through that. As an artist, I obviously have to adapt to the music that’s being created and that’s popular, but also put my own style on it. I’m not a mumble rapper, but I have to adapt to it. How did you first get into music? My favourite rapper is and always has been Lil Wayne. Like I said, it started right there when I was 8, and I went to a Lil Wayne concert. My brother rapped too so that was a big influence. Music was really all around me, so as I got to 16/17, I wanted to start creating. My first time writing, I basically took Tha Carter I or II, and I switched all the words around. If he said ‘red', I said ‘blue’, and so on. That was my first time writing, and that helped me to learn how to write. At 17 I wrote my first song, and when I look at the lyrics now it’s funny to me, but I can see where I was trying to go with it. As life went on, I learnt how to do it. During that era, when I was 17, that’s basically when Chris Brown came along, and everyone was gravitating towards him. There was the whole thing about him dancing and singing, I just liked his style. That paved the way for me, that’s how it all started.
Where do you see yourself at the end of the year?
Winning ‘Best New Artist’ at the BET Hip Hop Awards. I want to be doing music full time, if I can do that, that’s when I’ll feel like I’ve really made it. Are you independent, or signed to a label? I’m independent, not signed. All my videos and me travelling to shoot them, all that is at my own expense. What would be your ideal collaborations? I want to work with Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, Tory Lanez. But at the moment I’m working with no features. Lil' Keke is an artist that’s becoming really big over here in America, and I have a song with him [called Real and Fake]. He’s a big feature for me to have secured. But other than that, I would only do a feature if it was a big name artist. I’m really just focused on getting my own music out there right now. I have a section on my blog called ‘Self-Help Songs’, where I analyse a particular song’s lyrics and see what lessons we can gain from it, because I feel like artists are in some ways today’s philosophers. They’ll be going through something, and they pen lyrics that can really help the listeners who are going through a similar struggle, but perhaps shed new light on it or shift the perspective in a really helpful way. Off the top of your head, which of your lyrics would you say you would want listeners to pay close attention to, that you feel can help people the most? It’s a lyric on my ‘Born in October’ EP. It’s the first verse on my song, ‘Born’. It goes, Look at my scars, they can tell you that the battle was real, It’s real, and basically it’s saying that they never know what you been through until they walk in your shoes. Read the latest self-Help Songs post here
Interview by Maxim Mower
Stream C Woodz’ summer anthem, ‘Drip or Drown’, out on all platforms, and watch his video for ‘Please Don’t’ here. You Might like...'Interview with THemxxnlight'
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Big Sean has made no secret of his mental health struggles, revealing earlier this year that he decided to start getting therapy. Despite his last album, ‘I Decided.’ being an inspiring journey through Sean’s mental struggle that ends on a positive note, it still left a feeling of there being more steps left that had to be taken.
‘Single Again’ is a celebration of his freedom from a relationship, a true break-up anthem. Now, Sean has dropped break-up tracks in the past in the form of ‘IDFWU’ and ‘Beware’, where he spits acerbic bars about his ex-girls. ‘Single Again’ is delivered in a completely different vein, with Sean poking fun at his past attitude in the lines, “Got me feeling like ‘I don’t f*** with you’/Oh nah, nah, that’s the old me”.
He goes on to muse, “Honestly, all the disrespect had damn near ruined me”. Despite being intensely introspective and soul-baring, the general mood of ‘Single Again’ seems positive, and not even in a trying to find the silver lining to the darkness kind of way, in a genuine way. It is uplifting to sense that Sean is making progress with himself - and this is his new focus.
The caption to the artwork is: I’ve decided to take my time and get it right. Work on myself and wake up and smell the roses
Even the Detroit rapper’s delivery seems less fiery, and more peaceful. And to put your ex-girl on the actual song where you’re rapping about the break-up, that’s going to come up one of two ways. Either it’ll seem incredibly bitter and publicly ridiculing, or it’ll emphasise how accepting you are of how things worked out.
It’s definitely the latter, with photos of Sean and his old flame Jhené Aiko hanging out together surfacing on Instagram a couple of months ago. It’s a bold move, but it comes across as being 100% a good-hearted, and rather sweet, way of saying, ‘hey, we’re good’, as opposed to a mere publicity stunt. Sean’s new message is the antithesis of superficial.
So as a new album is readied, let’s hope Big Sean continues to get his mind right and place his wellbeing as the priority. I loved the old-school Sean party-starters, the tongue-in-cheek lyrics and ferocious rhymes. But I have to say I’m more excited than ever about the new Sean Don, where the maxim (knew I’d find a way to work that word in…!) at the heart of the music is way more important than the braggadocio and flexing.
Yours sincerely, but not too seriously, Max.i'm Buy Big Sean's Last Solo Album, 'I Decided.' below  Photo by Malaika Astorga, design by Ciele Beau Just when you think you’ve found the right box to place songstress Maryze in, she eludes your grasp once again, her sultry voice slipping through the fingers of Pop, into R&B, and then into EDM. Like Moons is impressively diverse. The EP opens with ‘Safe’, a slow-tempo track that lulls the listener into a false sense of security. It is immersive, and easily allows you to drift away in the midst of the atmospheric production and Maryze’s ethereal, uplifting vocals about self-love. ‘B.O.Y’, which stands for ‘Because of You’, is another slow-jam, a synth driven track, with Maryze crooning wistfully before she leaves the catchy riff to breathe. It sums up the vibe so far - the lulling background provides the soft bed upon which the listener can just sit back and relax, while Maryze cuts through the haze with insightful musings. ‘Their Hearts’ and ‘Dis-Moi’ are earworms that stand side by side on the record, and highlight Maryze’s ability to amp up the drama. Her mystical, light voice invokes comparisons to Jhené Aiko, another fan of creating a dreamy ambience in her music. ‘Dis-Moi’, however, sang in French, is the song that makes you stop and really listen. For the first time we hear an edge, the frantic synth that rises up behind Maryze’s hook, mirroring the increasing tension and desperation in her voice, pleading the song’s subject to ‘Talk to me’. ‘Dis-Moi’ shifts Maryze from being really good, but perhaps flirting with predictability, to being truly dynamic and exciting. It sounds like the kind of track that could have been written for The Weeknd, and the bassline contrasts perfectly with Maryze’s high range vocals. Maryze cuts through the haze with insightful musings  Photo by Emily Neill The album finishes to a slower beat, with ‘Special’ taking us back to the calmer terrain of the opening tracks. It completes the EP beautifully, with each song showcasing Maryze’s strengths and her versatility to move across genres, while staying true to her core sound. You get a clear sense of Maryze’s openness in expressing her emotions, and this vulnerability allows the listener in. She encourages you to lower your own walls, as you experience her removing hers. This is a project about being honest to yourself and others - an apt message in an era where how you appear outwardly, whether you are a celebrity or simply a social media user, for example, seems to matter more than how you really feel on the inside. Like Moons is a meditative, tranquil 5-course-meal, throughout which invigorating flavours and warming notes create a soothing balance, the result being an undoubtedly whetted appetite for Marzye’s next release. Maxim Mower  George Ezra, Get Away “It's never been this way before Shut down by anxiety" George Ezra acknowledged in 2018 that he had been suffering with anxiety, and ‘Get Away’ tackles this issue head on. However, the overall message is an optimistic one, and highlights how when we step back and stop for a moment, we can often realise that our worries are not as significant as we once thought. “He's dreaming of a blacked out car, screaming: "Move over!”” This line really resonates with me, because being at Uni it often feels like we’re expected to step straight onto the treadmill of suits, chai lattes, and office desk plants without giving it a second thought. Ezra contrasts the work-based aspirations of the character driving in a tinted car, with the screaming of ‘Move over!’ hinting at the more fast-paced and stressed out lifestyle this can entail. He contrasts this with the following line, “He’ll be flying through the sugar canes, screaming: “Move over!” While the line is almost the same, the picture it paints is of a much more carefree person, out in nature, and the ‘Move over!’ sounds more like a child that is keen to continue their race through the fields. “And I'm running down a mountain side when I close my eyes And I'm a leader of a big brass band when I close my eyes” Ezra continues to provide more fun and wide-eyed fantasies, showing us the scope of his imagination. This links back to his idea that modern generations can become ‘shut down by anxiety’. It is interesting looking at this from a student's perspective, because often I'll devote a lot of my day-to-day thinking time to degree-related worries, such as 'Am I going to get this essay finished?', 'Have I read enough?', 'Does my tutor think I'm stupid?' But then as soon as the weekend hits, and I have a day or two off, there's a really weird feeling of confusion. During the week there's been all these small, work-related distractions, so when I stop working and these distractions disappear, all the bigger, existential questions start flooding into my head. 'What am I going to do with my life after Uni?'... 'Am I really happy studying like this?'... 'What do my friends think of me?'... Then, because these questions are uncomfortable, I inevitably start filling my mind with the smaller distractions again, and the cycle continues. "You better get away, boy You better get away" I feel like George Ezra isn't just talking about taking a vacation (although that often helps!), he means stepping back from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, and finding time to just be present, to be in the moment. It's the constant chasing our tails and finding distractions that leads to the feeling I mentioned earlier, where when all the distractions are gone, we're not really sure what to do with ourselves, and we feel a bit empty. I guess for me personally, the message I receive from these lyrics is to stop trying to find distractions, and just appreciate each moment. And confront the uncomfortable questions. Don't run from them, tackle them head on and see how they can be dealt with - if there is nothing we can do about it right now, then it's irrelevant. If there is a solution, then make a plan for attaining that solution. How to Worry Less #1 - Confront your problems, know your enemy In 'The Art of Happiness', the Dalai Lama likens training your mind to deal with problems to preparing an army for battle. If you confront the enemy, learn their strengths, their weaknesses, and their tactics, then you are in a much better position to defeat them. By contrast, if you bury your head in the sand and simply hope the enemy will be defeated, you are in a much less advantageous position. Know your enemy - and know your problems. "Any boy can dream, dream of anything Just like you" Like I said before, George Ezra's overarching message is one of optimism. It seems the way we are told to look at the world, our careers, our lives, makes us forget to open our minds to the more wondrous possibilities out there. We are told to look at the options as being A, B, and C, where for example, A is University, B is an Internship, and C is an Apprenticeship. But sometimes looking at life in this fixed way, and looking through the lens that society has nudged us in front of, we miss a whole host of possibilities. Who says that the only routes we can take are A, B, and C. What about X, Y, and Z? Or 1, 2, and 3? I feel like George Ezra’s message here is to keep your mind open, and don’t get bogged down in worrying about the little things, like what car you’re driving or how late you are for that 9am meeting. Life is obviously about more than that. How to Worry Less #2 - Keep your mind open When you close your eyes, are you driving the blacked out car, or flying through the sugar canes? Yours sincerely, but not too seriously, Max.i’m  Source: chanceraps.com Has record label-rejecting, humanitarian and activist Chance the Rapper gone commercial with his new album? It seems ludicrous to even pose the question. Throughout Chance’s entire career, despite the fairly widespread fame he accumulated after releasing just one mixtape, 10 Days, which was written during a period of expulsion from his school, he has steadfastly rejected the advances of record label CEOs. His second mixtape, Acid Rap, brought him into the mainstream musical consciousness, before Coloring Book and a coveted feature on Kanye West’s The Life Of Pablo propelled him into rapstar status. All still while Chance was independent. Since then Chance has become a major humanitarian figure, earning praise from world-leaders such as Barack Obama, donating $1million to Chicago Public Schools, and being actively involved in tackling gun violence, homelessness and racial equality in Chicago. When he broke onto the scene, his brand of conscious rap was heralded as the antithesis to the Chief Keef instigated drill movement, which was characterised by its aggressive and nihilistic lyrics. In today’s LA-fuelled music industry, where artists’ eyes seem to be clouded by dollar signs, Instagram followers and merch sales, Chance the Rapper serves as the stereotype subverting superhero (wow, that was a mouthful) who has charged onto the scene in the name of art and philanthropy. How could anyone doubt his motives as being anything but pure and incredibly refreshing? The only reason anyone would have to think such a thing, is that Chance recently released all of his projects onto streaming services. Along with this, he has an online store newly stocked up with clothing, vinyls and hats publicising all of his projects, the purchases of which includes the download of his upcoming album. This linking of an album download with merchandise is a well-known marketing strategy, perfected last year by Travis Scott. His use of the technique was famously criticised by Nicki Minaj, who claimed it was the reason he beat her to Number 1. DJ Khaled, Quavo and many others have employed the tactic, and it seems to have become the strategic norm in boosting record sales.  The fact that Chance has maintained such a squeaky clean persona over his career so far, might have led fans to presume he would not get involved in such PR methods, and would simply let the music do the talking. Does the fact that he has succumbed to this temptation, mean he has gone back on the principles that made him such a beloved, sunny feature in hip hop’s increasingly murky landscape? I really don’t think so. While critics may suggest otherwise, in my opinion this is simply a man who wants to try his best to get his album to Number 1. He has spoken in the past of his slight frustration that, because he has not released his projects to regular, paid streaming services, he hasn’t always received the recognition he deserves. This might sound odd coming from someone with three Grammys, but I wouldn’t say this is vanity. I think Chance just wants the credit where it’s due, and if he has to play by the rules of label-style advertising and marketing in order to get this, then so be it. It must feel a bit weird to be an artist of the status of Chance the Rapper, and to not yet have had a Number 1 album. The consensus is fairly unanimous in saying that if Coloring Book hadn’t been released as a streaming-only project, it would have done far better than the Number 8 spot it climbed to on the Billboard charts. And if a unanimous consensus wasn’t enough, then surely this glowing review on my old blog was…! Despite some people viewing a Number 1 single with disdain nowadays, and many of them do end up being mere flashes in the pan, a Number 1 album is still a highly revered feat. So regardless of the financial benefits, which are obviously aplenty, it is incredibly prestigious. At the very least, it’s a pretty darn cool story to tell the grandchildren. So let’s not view Chance the Rapper through the same eye as we would another, more commercially minded artist (DJ Khaled shouting ‘Still in the Meeting!’ on yet another Instagram post springs to mind), and respect Chance’s wishes to make his album do as well as it possibly can. We all like a bit of praise and appreciation every now and then. Does it make Chance any less of a good person if he simply wants the same? Yours sincerely, but not too seriously, Max.i’m  The Critic: Jaden Smith seems to occupy a peculiar space in modern Hip-Hop. Most people have heard of him, but almost none have actually heard him. He has inevitably so far stood in the megastar-sized shadow of his father, Will Smith, and the mediocre success he has enjoyed is, perhaps unfairly, dismissed by cynics as being a result of Will. On ‘ERYS’, Jaden makes a mockery of them. It is heavily experimental, and the plot of Jaden being some kind of futuristic drug dealer who sells a mind controlling substance called ‘Pink’ to the world, and everyone subsequently degenerates into masses of zombies, is wacky to say the least. It’s interesting, but I wouldn’t say that when I listen to the album, it’s a story that can be easily gleaned from the obtuse lyrics. The opening track is peppered with left-field musings such as, “The gold and diamonds could dissolve his pride”. It’s the sort of whimsical statement I put in my University philosophy essays to try and con my tutors into thinking I’m cleverer than I actually am. But Jaden never comes across as someone who is trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes. As a whole, his plot makes sense, and he deserves respect for providing us with often witty lyrics that do not succumb to the Hip Hop stereotypes of sex, money and drugs. Of course, such references make their appearances, but as a whole this album plays with a higher purpose than merely flexing and impressing the listener.  It is deep, but also kind of accessible. The spacey production, vocal distortions and mercurial features come together to form a project packed full of beautiful moments, with each off-kilter idea improving the overall effect of the album. Some artists experiment for the sake of experimenting, and even use this to hide their actual lack of originality, with the only result being music that is nigh impossible to make any sense of. Jaden is not one of these artists. Admittedly, it could be argued that his auto-tuned, emo rap style is heavily derivative of Kid Cudi and Travis Scott. There are definitely moments, particularly when rapping alongside Cudi on ‘On My Own’, where it is apparent where Jaden gets a lot of his inspiration from. His outlandish, self-assured antics coupled with the twitchy, euphoric nature of some ‘ERYS’ tracks provoke easy comparisons with Kanye West. Equally, Jaden’s move to regularly opt for soul-baring laments over braggadocious bars could render him a student of the Drake school of Hip Hop. But what is this really to say? Quite frankly, 80% of rappers in today’s charts have drawn stylistic influences from at least one of Kid Cudi, Kanye and Drake. Jaden is in his own lane, and that lane sounds pretty darn good. Some artists experiment for the sake of experimenting...Jaden is not one of these artists The Fan: My favourite three rappers are undoubtedly Kanye, Travis Scott and Drake, so to see Jaden combining numerous strands of these artists’ styles, and then putting his own stamp on the resulting concoction obviously plays right into my hands (or my ears, I guess…). I love experimentation in rap, but often artists such as Tyler, the Creator, Daniel Caesar and Frank Ocean are a little too introspective and cryptic for me to really get on their wavelength. I feel like Jaden strikes the perfect balance here between being innovative and being intelligible to the listener. Oh, and there’s also the small matter of it sounding awesome - you can turn up to the electric, hard-hitting rhymes of some songs, and then wallow in the fragile sorrow of other tracks. Standout Track: ‘Summertime in Paris’ Hidden Diamond: ‘K’ Yours sincerely, but not too seriously, Maxim  I don’t know about you, but whenever I listen to new music, there are two voices in my head. Considering there is usually just the one, and that one voice is more often than not preoccupied with repeating the phrase ‘I’m hungry’ all day, this struck me as odd. When I’m there with my headphones or speaker playing out the latest track from a hip hop heavyweight, or perhaps a country megastar, the first voice is always my initial reaction. This is ‘The Fan’ in me, who is a sucker for an electrifying beat and a blistering hook. Preferably, if it’s hip hop, I like a good helping of auto-tuned emo-rap, or if it’s something more poppy or country, then just a simple earworm of a chorus and some warm, nostalgic lyrics will do the job nicely. ‘The Fan’ knows exactly what he likes, and can usually tell within the first few lines of a song whether it fits the bill or not. Then there’s the second voice - ‘The Critic’. Obviously in running this blog, and in having worked as Music Editor for various student newspapers, if I let ‘The Fan’ do all the talking, then it would result in some very biased reviews. ‘The Critic’ is that voice inside us that we all have whenever we make a decision or judgement call. It’s the voice that coughs a little disapproving ‘ahem’ whenever we reach for that tenth chocolate bar, or that sighs as we opt to watch yet another episode of Black Mirror instead of working on that essay due in for tomorrow. It might seem strange that this voice pops up when I’m listening to music, as surely there is no real right or wrong in terms of what we listen to - if you enjoy it, go for it, if you don’t, then feel free to steer clear, right? But donning the prestigious title of ‘Music Writer’ (I swear they should give me some letters after my name for that) generally means adhering to the assumption that there is some objective standard of which music is good and which is not so good. Otherwise, why should anyone take any notice as to whether the New York Times’ top Music Writer says a new album is great, or that it’s terrible? Having said this, personally I think music is clearly subjective, and I think most would agree with this. How else can you explain the fervent adulation given by some fanbases to Kanye West, and of others to AC/DC? Of course, certain artists such as The Beatles or Elvis Presley are generally accepted to have made ‘good music’, and few would contend with this. So it’s a bit of a murky picture - which voice should I listen to more? ‘The Fan’ who immediately streams anything that Travis Scott so much as breathes on, or ‘The Critic’, who hears ‘The Fan’’s snap judgment, but asks, ‘You might like it, but is it actually good?’ I’m undecided. So from now on I’m going to split some of my reviews into two sections. The first part will be ‘The Critic’ speaking, and will generally be how I would go to write a standard article. The second part will be space for ‘The Fan’ to let his opinions run wild. I’ll leave it up to you to decide whose tastes you prefer, and whether we should generally listen to ‘The Fan’ within us, or ‘The Critic’… Stay tuned for my next review, on Jaden’s ‘ERYS’, which will be posted in the next few days. Yours sincerely, but not too seriously, Max.i’m 
This morning Ed dropped the album we’ve been waiting on since ‘I Don’t Care’ with Justin Bieber set up camp at number one. There was an incredible amount of hype and promo, something Ed usually doubles down on, letting the music do the talking. Did this and the star studded line up mean Ed was finally succumbing to the temptations of being a more commercial, and less authentic artist?
Well rest assured you can suspend any worries about this being an album merely riding a wave of publicity - in fact, suspend all worries altogether. Just sit back, relax, and embrace the hits. Because that’s what this album is, it’s basically 15 number ones jam-packed into a single project. I’ll be surprised if ‘South of the Border’, which features Camilla Cabello and Cardi B, isn’t atop the charts come the end of the day. Yes, this could probably happen on the basis of the star-studded credits alone, but don’t let this take away from how good a song this is. It’s an ear worm that will wriggle its way in and stay there for the whole day. All the tracks on this project are Ed Sheeran masterclasses in how to write the perfect hit song - and apparently, there are 15 different ways to do this. ‘Antisocial’ is a personal favourite, with Ed’s golden melodies combining forces with Travis Scott’s mercurial rhrymes, producing an alloy that is somehow both icy cold and blisteringly hot at the same time. This was confirmed to be the next single, and the hilarious video dropped earlier today. This project is eclectically beautiful Despite all the glitz and glamour of the cast-list, there is a refreshing theme of rejecting fame’s traditional values. On ‘Beautiful People’, Ed presents the Hollywood lifestyle in a negative light, crooning ‘Pre-nups and broken homes/Surrounded, but still alone/Let’s leave the party’. Similarly, on ‘I Don’t Care’, he muses, ‘Don’t think I fit in at this party/Everyone’s got so much to say’. I listened to this expecting a reel of hits, and to some extent that is what I got. However there is definitely a darker undertone that is threaded through the bouncy tracks, covering themes of insecurity and loneliness that one perhaps wouldn’t assume the world-dominating Ed Sheeran would struggle with. This is what makes it all the more moving though, with ‘Best Part of Me’ with YEBBA being an emotional highlight. He confesses, ‘I bite my nails and tell the truth, I go from thin to overweight/Day to day it fluctuates’, before asking his lover, ‘Why the hell do you love me? ‘Cause I don’t even love myself’. Ed has obviously had his fair share of touching, soul-baring tracks in the past, such as ‘Lego House’ and ‘Small Bump’. But now that he is more associated with the upbeat party-starters, epitomised by his more recent hits ‘Sing’, ‘Shape of You’ and ‘Galway Girl’, the open fragility on this album is accentuated. This project is eclectically beautiful, making you want to jump up and dance one minute, then the next minute it has you reaching for a box of tissues. 
‘Remember the Name’ is an old school Hip Hop anthem, with Ed Sheeran excitedly professing his wish for a song with 50 Cent and Eminem in the first verse. What follows? A song with 50 Cent and Eminem, and an instant classic at that.
Hip Hop and R&B weave in and out of the album, and compliment Ed Sheeran’s energetic vocals brilliantly. On ‘Take Me Back to London’, the UK hit maker shows off his rapping skills, going bar for bar with London’s primary grime export, Stormzy. His lightning quick rhymes and witty lyrics put the mumble rapping Lil Pumps and Lil Uzis of today’s charts to shame. But what’s great about this album is it doesn’t feel like Ed is in competition with anyone, nor has anything to prove. It feels totally free, and plays like a passion project that he genuinely really wanted to make. The interviews he’s done suggest the ‘No.6 Collaborations Project’ is just that. It’s Ed and his friends doing what they love - making music. I guess it’s fortunate for us listeners (and for his record label) that Ed Sheeran’s friendship circle happens to resemble an illustrious musical pantheon. Commercial success aside, this is easily one of my favourite Ed Sheeran albums already, and it’s only been out for a few hours. On it, he reminds us why he is not only the best hit maker out there right now, but that he is also the best emoter and storyteller. Maxim Mower Stream Ed Sheeran's new album on all services, or purchase the CD below this article was originally published at phaser.com
Posthumous albums are always a tricky business. It is so difficult to get the sentiment right, to make sure the intentions are clearly to honour the artist, and not just to achieve material gain. There is even a question as to whether this music should be released at all.
It is clear from reading interviews with the likes of Vargas & Lagola, Aloe Blacc, and Carl Falk, all of whom worked together to complete Avicii’s TIM, just how much they cared about their late Swedish superstar and friend. Songs from TIM are difficult to listen to now, they say, and the nature of the songs on the new album make it evident why this is so. It would be easy to read TIM as heavily foreshadowing the DJ’s passing. It is pervaded by darkness, with the first track, ‘Peace of Mind’, opening with the lyrics, Dear Society, Bad Reputation tells the tragic story of someone hiding their depression (“I don't want to be seen in this shape I'm in/I don't want you to see how depressed I've been”), while ‘SOS’ pleads for a lover to come save them from their insomnia (“I get robbed of all my sleep/As my thoughts begin to bleed”). Having said this, it’s strange reading through the lyrics of TIM, because on the basis of them alone it’s hard to view the album as anything but a suicide note from Avicii. However, listening to the album is an entirely different experience. The melodies are often tinged with sadness, and Carl Falk explains that Avicii would combine major and minor chords in the same line, the latter giving the songs a feeling of wistfulness. But there is an energy about each track, a sense that Avicii hadn’t lost his feeling of wonder and inspiration that shines through so prominently on his Stories hit, ‘The Nights’. ‘Never Leave Me’ is a boisterous, euphoric ode to a loved one, continuing the theme from SOS with the lyrics, She knows how I’m feeling, 
'Heaven’, his collaboration with Chris Martin, is undoubtedly the standout track, and one that fans have been waiting for since it was teased in 2014. It is overwhelmingly uplifting and positive, and initially it seems a little odd that it is positioned as the second track on TIM, as it could have provided a concluding note of happiness as the album closer. But then you remember the most tragic aspect of this album - it’s a tribute to a story that didn’t end happily. The track that was chosen to finish TIM, ‘Fades Away’, epitomises how perfectly the sentiment of the album was judged. It references the ‘troubled times’ and the ‘trials to find somewhere we belong’ that have coloured the preceding eleven songs, but ends on a note of optimism, All I know is that with you I’m moving on 
This album carries such an emotional weight with it, that it was always going to be tough to find the balance between tones of positivity and regret. TIM finds this middle ground in a way that few other posthumous albums succeed in doing, and in my view, this is Avicii’s best work to date. His collaborators spoke with sadness about how it felt like he was on the brink of something massive musically, and how he would never get to execute this vision. TIM is as close as we can get to the perfect tribute, and the perfect reminder of how influential and talented Avicii was. I think it is easy to underestimate the impact Avicii has had on music, and people, around the world. The testimonial message board on his website is evidence of this, with tributes being posted from a whole range of nationalities - there are few artists whose music has touched so many people. We all remember when ‘Levels’ broke into the charts back in 2011, and essentially set the tempo for a decade that would be dominated by House/Pop fusions from EDM titans such as Calvin Harris, David Guetta, Martin Garrix and The Chainsmokers. Avicii’s crossovers into Folk, Rock and Country music broke down genre walls and introduced many new artists to fans that would not normally be interested in these kinds of music. On a more personal note, it seems apt that I’m writing this review in the lead-up to Father’s Day. Zac Brown Band is my father and I’s favourite band, and we always have one of their CDs loaded into the car stereo, ready for our road trip sing-a-longs. The paths of our music tastes don’t often meet, but this is a great instance where we can really share our love of music with one another. And the only reason I ever heard about Zac Brown Band, was because they were featured on the Avicii song ‘Broken Arrows’, and I thought hey, why not give them a try. Equally, I remember playing my dad Avicii’s ‘The Nights’, and he fell in love with the carpe diem spirit of the hook, He said, one day you’ll leave this world behind, 
Before any big event in my life, my dad will still text me the words, ‘Remember, these are the nights!’, just as a reminder to make the most of every moment. It seems a bit trivial to call an EDM song my favourite song, but because of the meaning associated with it, ‘The Nights’ is definitely up there for me. Avicii has had a much bigger impact on me that I would have ever imagined. While the album is heavily tinged with grief, TIM is also the perfect celebration of Avicii’s talent in creating music that resonates with his listeners. Despite the pained lyrics and the tragic context, TIM has at its heart the message Avicii always tried his best to convey - one of hope. Maxim Mower Get this amazing album on CD or Vinyl below Originally published at phaser.com There is a unique quality that only the upper, upper echelon of artists ever have. I’m not talking about the way their melodies are strung together, the way their charisma shines through on the track, or the way their lyrics shake you to your core. Of course, these are qualities that great artists possess. But only a handful of artists reach a point in their career where you don’t listen to see if the album or single is any good. You know it’s going to be good, so you just relax, and enjoy it. Surprisingly, not many of today’s musical icons seem to possess this quality. Drake, who keeps breaking record after record after record, even ones held by The Beatles, still brings out an album to hesitant ears. ‘Will it be as good as the last one?’, they ask. The same is true of Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Post Malone - most of today’s musical heavyweights still turn up with a sense of something to prove. Ed Sheeran literally has nothing to prove. Every album he’s ever brought out has been a smash hit, and every single he drops is draped with a VIP pass to Number One before anyone’s even listened to it. A significant number of your favourite songs were probably written by him, with his writing credits stretching all the way from The Weeknd to One Direction via Justin Bieber. And what’s more, he seems like the nicest guy to set foot in the music industry. He recently announced his upcoming No.6 Collaborations Project, following on from the No.5 that he released before he’d even been signed to a label. The two lead singles feature Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper and PnB Rock, and are - surprise surprise - currently sitting on top of the charts. Like I said, Ed Sheeran is one of those artists you can’t help but sit back and appreciate. He said he had a bucket list of artists he really wanted to work with, so that’s what he’s going to do. And why not? He’s one of the most successful artists of all time, so why not tick off those collaborations he’s been wishing for. What do you have left to strive for when you’re the best? In Ed Sheeran’s book, it’s to simply enjoy yourself.  This album should definitely be regarded as a complete love project, with Ed simply following his heart and working with the people he genuinely wants to work with, and not just names on a list handed to him by his record label. However, while we shouldn’t overanalyse it, it could also end up being one of his most interesting albums yet. The only slight criticism that people can possibly muster against Halifax’s most prized export, is that his music is at times a little derivative. Chance the Rapper and PnB Rock are certainly not features we could ever expect on a ‘standard’ Ed Sheeran album, so maybe this is his way of answering that final question as to how versatile he really is? To be honest, I really don’t think this has crossed his mind. No.6 looks set to simply be a fun, eclectic journey through a whole host of musical styles and genres, one that is enjoyed just as much by the artist as it is by the listener. Who can we expect on the guest-list? Ed has made no secret of his love for Hip Hop, with the ‘favourite song’ referenced in the go-to wedding track of this generation, ‘Perfect’, being revealed to be Future’s hard-hitting gangster anthem ‘March Madness’. He also worked with Future on Taylor Swift’s ‘End Game’, so an appearance from the Atlanta rapper can perhaps be presumed. Travis Scott is almost certainly on there too, with a collaboration between Scott and Sheeran leaking earlier this year, and judging by the lyrics, seems to be Track 7 on the project, called ‘Antisocial’. There will undoubtedly be some curveballs thrown at us, but all the more reason to look forward to No. 6’s release. This is a guy at the peak of his powers, nothing to prove, and just enjoying the artistic freedom his success has brought about. Is there any pressure on Ed Sheeran to deliver us another blockbusting, record-breaking smash hit of an album? 100% not. But are we expecting one? Absolutely. No. 6 Collaborations Project is out on July 12th, and is available to Pre-Add on all streaming platforms now. Maxim Mower |
AuthorHello! I'm currently studying Philosophy & Theology at Oxford University, UK. Having always loved writing and music in equal measure, and having always hated decision-making, I figured hey, why do I need to choose between the two? Archives
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