By Bethany Nguyen
As his fan base steadily grows, Daniel Caesar continues to evolve. On Oct. 24, millions of fans eagerly awaited the highly anticipated release of Caesar’s fourth studio album, “Son of Spergy.”
Caesar’s music leans towards contemporary R&B with soulful influences, and his newest album reveals just that. But with a heavier emphasis on gospel and familial relationships, “Son of Spergy” takes a step in a slightly new direction.
Unusually, Caesar had announced a pop-up tour around the U.S., where he played unreleased songs from this album, driving fans into a frenzy before the album release.
The title itself is a reference to Caesar’s father, nicknamed “Spergy.” The themes of reconciliation with his father, legacy and faith are woven into powerful songs throughout the album.
Simply by glancing over the titles of the tracks reveals the faith-oriented nature of this album. “Root of all Evil,” “Touching God” (feat. Yebba & Blood Orange) and “Sins of the Father” are clear evidence of the ongoing religious theme.
The opening song, “Rain Down” features Sampha and is a heavily gospel-influenced track that sets the tone for the album. With the repeating refrain “Lord, let Your blessings rain down on me,” is a genuine manifestation of Caesar’s personal faith.
Regarding the following track, “Have A Baby (With Me),” there seems to be some controversy. Some say the lyrics are clumsily written and muddled, leaving the audience confused. However, I personally find this song to be one of the most real and raw ones of Caesar’s entire discography. The blunt honesty and extremity of, “It’s too late for our dreams / We can make a new dream / Have a baby with me,” almost feels like we are seeing Caesar rip open his heart, allowing us to step inside it and giving us never-before-seen insight into his soul.
The fourth track and my personal favorite, “Baby Blue” (feat. Norwill Simmonds) blends soft melodies with a quiet drum to sing a romantic tune that is comforting and fragile. Unlike some of the other tracks, it is evident that this song was intended to stay pure, revealing raw emotion over flashy production. This quiet masterpiece takes love songs to an entirely new level that is both unexpected and not, considering Caesar’s past work.
In one of two collaborations with Bon Iver, “Moon” consists of anguished lyrics sung in an almost monotonous voice, creating mixed emotions that reveal Caesar’s inner feelings. Lines like, “Who’s gonna fight for me?” and “Who’s gonna be my Jesus?” are gut-wrenching when read, but comforting and when sung to a twinkly melody.
In all honesty, there were moments I had while listening to the album where I thought that certain verses or melodies sounded identical to songs from Caesar’s past albums. His music continues to maintain a persistent style across songs and albums that, while well-equipped, can sometimes feel repetitive and overdone. Nevertheless, I am a fan.
