This past week one of the most anticipated albums of the summer dropped, and I'm not talking about Frank Ocean's "Blond." On August 19th, rapper, poet, and now best-selling author George Watsky released his fourth studio album "x Infinity" and it is without a doubt some of his best work to date.
"x Infinity" is definitely one of Watsky's strongest albums when considering its arrangement and overall musicality. While each track has its own unique flavor and focus, there seems to be a thematic arc that allows for the album to flow seamlessly as if on a musical lazy river through the mind of the artist. Watsky's work has always broken the mold for traditional rap music and treads in the delicate space that exists between hip-hop/rap and poetry. As such, Amazon has forged a new category to house the genre of "experimental rap." Watsky's "x Infinity" ranks as #1 in this burgeoning genre.
Watsky's style is characteristically sharp and authentic. "x Infinity" is no exception to his typical modus operandi. The track covers an immense amount of thematic ground while staying true to Watsky's quick-witted, tongue-in-cheek yet existentially arousing style. Songs like "Stick To Your Guns" and "Pink Lemonade" deal with the many public crises of modern life and touch on major political issues of the era while songs like "Talking To Myself," "Chemical Angel" and the three-part "Lovely Things Suite" deal with more internal struggles that face many an individual in modern society. The album also features a handful of songs that are solid, true-to-form jams, like "Don't Be Nice" and "Tiny Glowing Screens Part 3." If that wasn't enough, Watsky goes so far as to quite abruptly deal with sexuality and intimacy in the aptly titled "Going Down." Each song is terrific within its own right, but as an album, they present a remarkable commentary on modern life.
"x Infinity" features countless incredible artists. From production by Anderson .Paak to features by Chinaka Hodge, Daveed Diggs, Dumbfoundead and more, the track list is star-studded. Watsky's album is a collaborative masterpiece that highlights what makes his style unique and worthwhile. Not only is it a ridiculously solid album and a quality listen, "x Infinity" is a valuable text that is sure to resonate somehow with all who lend the rapper an ear. All that aside, I'll never be able to do the album justice here -- go to Tidal, Apple Music, iTunes, Spotify, or Soundcloud to give "x Infinity" a listen for yourself. You won't regret it.
Watch the all of the available music videos for tracks on "x Infinity" here:
Midnight Heart ft. Mal Devisa
Talking To Myself
Tiny Glowing Screens Part 3 ft. Camila Recchio and Danny McClain
Stick To Your Guns ft. Julia Nunes
Check out the RapGenius page for "x Infinify" here.
