World-renowned producer and artist, Black Coffee has finally delivered his much-awaited sixth studio album ‘Subconsciously’.
The 12-track LP features collaborations with global stars Pharrell Williams, David Guetta, Sabrina Claudio, Cassie, Usher to name a few – and local stars Sun-EL Musician, Una Rams, Tellaman and Msaki.
Through open, stripped-back productions where lyrics and mood take centre stage, he weaves his way out of traditional dance and electronic artist expectations—and even those of an African artist—into a space that’s more melody- and mood-driven than any of his previous LPs.
“The main event for me on the album is the sound,” he tells Apple Music. “On my previous albums I would sit down with an artist and we’d discuss what we’d want to write about. This time, I relied more on the singers and songwriters. I want the melody to be right. Then the lyrics can follow.”
Things open with the fluttering vibes of ‘Lost’, featuring Greek artist DJ Angelo and British multi instrumentalist Jinadu, a melodic, emotion-tinged club cut that sets the tone for the rest of the LP.
There are no fewer than seven singles throughout the rest of the record, starting with December’s gospel-evoking ‘You Need Me’, featuring Bronx-born singer and model Maxine Ashley and South African star Sun-El Musician. Chart-topping singer-songwriter Sabrina Claudio then lends her ethereal vocals to ‘SBCNCSLY’, a delicate dance track drenched in warm piano chords and rolling drumlines, pop and R&B superstar Usher links up with Black Coffee on the groove-laden ‘LaLaLa’, and cultural icon Pharrell Williams contributes to the poignant modern pop energy of ‘10 Missed Calls’, with vocals from fellow Grammy winner Jozzy.
September single ‘Ready For You’ is next up, pairing warm, shimmering electro-pop vibes with the angelic vocals of aptly-named UK singer-songwriter and ‘BBC Sound of 2020’ winner Celeste. Fresh from being crowned #1 DJ on the planet in the coveted DJ Mag ‘Top 100’ rankings, David Guetta and Black Coffee’s 2018 collab ‘Drive’, featuring the vocals of London-based Delillah Montagu, is also included on Subconsciously, a track described by Resident Advisor as “another classic Black Coffee production”. The LP’s closing track is a similarly high-profile affair. Featuring music mogul Diplo, ‘Never Gonna Forget’ is a percussion-driven deep house gem pairing guitar strings with the pitch-perfect vocals of UK chart-topper Elderbrook.
Non-single highlights include the melodic-natured ‘I’m Fallin’’, featuring the hushed vocals of Australian singer-songwriter Ry X, hypnotic R&B vibes of ‘Time’ featuring Cassie and punchy ‘Flava’, with fellow South Africans Una Rams and Tellaman.
Stream the full album below:
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