Can we all just admit that Canada is overflowing with talent? I mean, Celine Dion, Alanis Morissette, Drake, Carly Rae Jepsen, the list goes on. The newest addition to the list is Alex Fleming, better known as Black Atlass, an R&B singer, writer, and producer, as well as newest signing to XO -- fellow Canadian The Weeknd’s label.
With two albums, several EPs, and multiple high fashion campaign syncs (and modeling gigs!) under his belt, Black Atlass is sitting pretty and well beyond “up and coming” at this point. Fleming just released his sophomore album on XO, joining a roster of artists including Belly, Nav, and The Weeknd himself earlier this year. The album, Pain & Pleasure, is a mix of dreamy R&B ballads and upbeat dark pop on brand with his XO label-mates. “Fantasy” finds Fleming crooning over a slow, hypnotic beat, dripping with broody passion.
It’s the kind of song you’d hear in a Fifty Shades of Grey movie trailer. Sexy, smooth, and moody. It’s that precise moment when you wake up from a daydream, just as things were getting really good, to realize you’re alone and empty. Fleming’s vocals glide like melted butter, meshing perfectly with the minimal production and showcasing his impressive falsetto range. His voice is somehow powerfully hushed, like how people on dates talk in loud bars when it gets late and intimate. The guitar riff cries out in anguish, as if it too is wondering, “Are you really in love with me? And do you want my company?” Maybe we’ve all been there before, letting someone slink their way back into your life even though you know it won’t end well. Black Atlass says it best: “And I’m a fool to let you in, yeah, I think I’m going to fall again.”
Pain & Pleasure is out now on XO and is highly recommended for those who want to go on a rollercoaster of emotions, smooth beats, and buttery falsetto vocals. Keep your ears peeled for more from Black Atlass and prepare to see this guy get big, y’all.
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