Stuck in Your Feels with Mal Sounds

The rise of alternative R&B over the last year has put a spotlight on the genre and its rising artists, artists like Q and Chase Shakur. One rising alternative R&B artists you need to put in rotation is mal sounds. The Brooklyn native curates his sound with his fascination of being raised on the internet through dark and moody daydreams. Fusing multiple genre influences over his young age (R&B, bedroom pop, etc.), his dark, sultry bass vocals have helped mal build a loyal fan base.

Say What You Need is the dual single release from his upcoming EP, Still In New York. The album’s titular track,is a minimalistic, bedroom pop-styled record that sends you into a state of bliss. The simplicity and introspection in his lyricism in “Say What You Need” really drew me in; the song's production and lyrics make it feel as if you’re talking to a lover in a dream. I asked mal sounds what this song means to him and his first words were,“I’ve been in danger, all my life.” He continued, “Dating isn’t easy. We’ve both been hurt. But that doesn’t have to define us.”

The B-side track to Still In New York, “Never Again,” is the polar opposite of the lead single. mal sounds crafts a story that depicts the alternative of what was stated above: betrayal, deceit, and resilience. The production of the song is also counter-intuitive with a more upbeat, similar bedroom pop production to Omar Apollo. With a short glimpse behind the two singles, I am interested to hear how this whole story unfolds in his upcoming EP. Get lost behind that sultry voice and dive deep into mal sounds’ story!

His discography is unique, offering a fresh taste to the music industry by fusing a perfect blend of the two genres: alternative R&B and bedroom pop. His ability to mesh different sounds goes hand-in-hand with his personality: “Thrifting genres like he thrifts clothes.” mal sounds is the perfect music for your late night summer drive playlist with his image-evoking production.

Be sure to check out his whole discography because mal sounds hasn’t had a miss yet! Some of my favourite tracks include: “VVS,” “VIDEOGAME,” and the self-titled lead single off of his debut EP,Freaks and Wild Things. Lots of big announcements are coming from mal sounds, so be sure to catch it all on his socials either on Instagram or Twitter via @malsounds. What are your thoughts on the two-sided singles? Let me know on my Twitter @jaake_cooper.