Now, first
of all, I am extremely late on this one but, this deserved to be talk about.
Devvon Terrell is not an artist I know much about, but one that I shall definitely
be keeping an ear towards from now on. Having heard his song “Temperature” on the Joe Budden podcast,
thanks to Rory Farrell choosing this as the sleeper’s song of the week, I was
instantly hooked and knew I need more of this.
The album
starts with the opening “6 O’Clock”
which is 1:55 of bliss. In terms of opening for an album, this song has set the
mood for me that Devvon is not here to suck up to companies, he is going to be
himself and be patient no matter how long it will take him. With lyrics such as
“Remember when all these people around us
didn't fuck with us. Ryan told me be myself and watch how they come to us. So,
I'm waiting here” you can
tell Devvon has the integrity and humbleness to know this is not going to an
overnight success story.
The first
few songs from the album are enough to captivate the listener, and I’m certain
that he has gained many fans with his music. His selection of beats and knowing
the right tone to go with the beats is expertly picked, almost as if he is a
music vet and understand the importance of a good beat and the way to match
this. This is evident on the song “You Been
Gone” which despite the lonely lyrics of a lady leaving him and not knowing
where she goes, Devvon express a vocal range showing the pain and making the listener
in captivated in his story telling. With a mixture of rap/singing this song is
of high quality and one that should definitely help make Devvon a success.
The album
goes from strength to strength and the storytelling throughout the album is winning
me over, I love albums that have a story to it, and this is one of those
albums. Maybe its due to the fact I have been in these situations as Devvon of feeling
like a side dude, and not knowing where the lady is, but this album really
speaks to me. Even singles like “Cougar”
which, lets be honest, every guy has thought about having a cougar, and this is
definitely the tune I shall pay next time I have a cougar with me.
The single
that won me over “Temperature” which
is definitely going to help Devvon grow as an artist to a new fanbase (like me)
could be a song that would be found on the likes of a Bryson Tiller album or
even The Weeknd. The way Devvon vocals express so much emotion and you can hear
the predicament and love Devvon has for the lady, even if he is only a “side dude” you can’t help but go to the girl’s
house because she has you that hooked on her. Even though you know you shouldn’t,
being the side dude isn’t all that bad, with Devvon highlighting the pros and
cons. Sure, its annoying the get a text at 3am to come over, but when you do
you know its going to be nothing but connecting with the lady. This song could definitely
be an anthem for many people at university and college.
The album
closes with the rap inspired “Born Sinner”
which finds Devvon at his most vulnerable and speaking his pain to the audience,
explaining the pain and struggles he has had to entail in his life. This song
closes the album perfectly and really makes us feel like we are listening to
Devvon project the album as a diary, opening himself up for the fans and
letting them really connect to him as an artist.
This album
is a perfect blend of R&B with rap, choosing the correct time to know when the
audience wants to hear Devvon spitting the truth, or when we want to hear Devvon
crooning the chorus for our ears. This album is what I expected Bryson Tillers
album to be, a new style of R&B that is taking off. In a year when R&B
really took off, it seems this gem has been uncovered from the list, and definitely
one of the best projects released by an R&B artist last year, matching the
likes of DVSN, Chris Brown and SZA in terms of quality. What’s next for Devvon Terrell
is uncertain, but if he continues in this direction, he’s got a fan for life. Let
me know if you’re ever in the UK!
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