I’m very tempted to twin this single release in with his performance on Triple J’s Like a Version, so… I’m gonna. What you always know you’re getting from Genesis Owusu is diversity in the sounds he draws on, but something he does just as well is executing and committing to these styles, every time he draws on them. That’s as evident in this strident yet loungy rnb flavour as it is in his cover of the Sex Pistol’s Anarchy in the U.K.- these things can coexist.
What stands out is the ease with which he switches between the ‘gold chains/cold chains’ motif for a memorable chorus into this incredibly slick verse, before pulling up and going back to the chorus again. It’s almost reflective- there’s something looking inwards-y about the inflection on “inside these chains”.
Remiss to not mention the pacing, either. The song is largely driven by a kick drum/snare, which is why it feels predominantly rnb- but the chorus is expansive, and any changes in the time signature of his verses are combined in with a plucked guitar, or a riff, which gives a bit of room to change his vocal pacing on a dime.
The debut Genesis Owusu album is one I’ve been excited for since, like, the Ansah Brothers throwaway mixtape in 2015. Since then, he’s only grown more as an artist, particularly as a multi-genre ostensible ‘rapper’ who pushes the boundaries of what you’d consider rapping. The release of these two, mere days apart, proves that.
