Frank Ocean's Blonde has sent shockwaves through the R&B genre when it was released in August of 2016. Since then, everyone from Tyler, the Creator to Gordi to JAY-Z have been releasing new material with echoes of the rapper's formative album. Warped, twisted, and mangled neo-soul vocals seem to be all the rage.
And yet, I haven't found too many covers that do the original work justice.
Enter NYC-based rapper/vocalist "max" with his newly released single "close to u." The track is a subtle rework of Frank's, complete with sugary autotune and compressed synths. It wanders with the same entertainingly dismal awkwardness. Verses spill from the artist like afterthoughts, fluid and alive.
"max" has released quite a bit of solo work in the last year. His music floats between dream pop and soulful sound collages with bits of sprinkled in rap. While his growing collection of releases have earned him a humble internet following, he aspires to collaborate with others and eventually work on film soundtracks.
For now, enjoy him while he's still underground. His minimalist lo-fi sound should be how you end your week—tender and ready for the cold.
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