Blood Orange: Angel’s Pulse

Dev Hynes has dropped another gem. This one goes by Angel’s Pulse. He produced and mixed this project by himself with contributions by very talented friends including: Toro y Moi, Ian Isiah, Justine Skye, Project Pat, Gangsta Boo, Tinashe, Arca, Joba and Kelsey Lu just to name a few.

Angel’s Pulse is somewhat a darker project. Projecting thoughts on grief, letting go, self worth or feeling the lack of and learning growth. Tracks vary from calm instrumentals, soft vocals swimming through R&B beats, some feel like gospels reminding us of what we’ve lost to trap sounds reminding us what we still have.

Dark & Handsome ft. Toro y Moi

What I love about this track is the beginning lyric, “Nothing last forever and I told you” Dev’s delicate voice rings loud as he speaks his truth. “Fears because the past and future scare me” We don’t know what life will bring us, or what it may take away. We can’t fall over every time the cookie crumbles.

Benzo

I love the music video to this song, Dev is brilliant at executing his thoughts into visuals. The lyric “Open the door, leave me with arms exposed” I feel like you could interpret to how it resonates with you personally because it makes me think of my scars. Physically and figuratively. Am I still worth it if you can still see my failures?

Birmingham: This song samples The Balled of Birmingham by Dudley Randall. It brings to life about the four little girls who died Sept. 15th 1963 when their church was burned down by racist southerners. Sounds of a gospel reminding us what we lost and sadly what we continue to lose in the Black community even to this day. “ Oh, here’s the shoe my baby wore, but baby where are you?” How many Black Mother’s will continue to lose their babies? How many Black Mother’s will have to continue to fight for justice for their babies?

Dev Hynes directed Benzo// Source @devhynes

Gold Teeth ft. Tinashe, Gangsta Boo & Project Pat

After most of the tracks are softer, you then get tracks like Gold Teeth that give you more of that trap feel. Those deeper beats that remind us we’re still alive. We’re still hustlin’. We’re still making this shit happen.

Take it back ft. Arca, JOBA, Justine Skye

My favorite line is by JOBA “What’s clear as day is dark as night/ I cannot see shit, back out with all my demons, blacked out for all my reasons/ my reflected image vanished in an instant.”

I feel like that speaks for itself. Dev Hynes is so artistic and finds ways to express himself outside of the box, so there is never limitation to what this man can do. Angel’s Pulse is streaming on all platforms. Do yourself a favor and go give it a listen.