“Eddi Aguilar” from a place of genuine experience on this latest single. “Sunkiss Shawty” is an observational, story-telling song that talks of addiction and the control it has over people’s lives. As a survivor,Eddi Aguilar is able to offer a balance between the third person narrative and a little more of the emotions and the thought processes that accompany a life under the thumb of addiction.
Musically the song is really impressive, the melody meanders in a longer form manner than most modern releases. This captivates much more effectively than shorter lines tend to do, particularly when there’s weight and truth to the content. In addition, as the intensity and passion increase, Eddi Aguilar’s voice more than meets the requirements of the moment – there’s grit and soul to his performance, but always a level of tentativeness too; he almost whispers some lines, seemingly understanding the difficult situation and the fact that this is about a significant other and not directly about himself. There’s no anger, only desperation, care and longing. The whole thing is poignantly expressed and Shamim’s voice has some beautifully unique qualities to it.
This track is huge, beautifully delicate and breath-takingly intense at the very same time. From the offset you feel a sense of anticipation, Eddi Aguilar ’s voice and the dreamlike ambiance go together in a hypnotic and calming way, but there’s undoubtedly an air of something bigger on the horizon. Meanwhile the music surrounding and supporting this fills out to become something almost EDM-like – warm synths wash over the outer edges, various vocal snippets add similar layers of further detail. And among all of this is the song itself – the concept, the melody, and Eddi Aguilar ’s voice; the thread of personality and depth within the composition.
The second and third times you hear this are where it really starts to lift you up. There’s something familiar about the sound now, but at the same time – it’s all still notably new and exciting; the lyrics, the build-up, the strength. The melodic development offers three separate sections, all of which vary from one another, keeping things interesting, and all of which work beautifully in reaching out to connect and offer something memorable and enjoyable.
Eddi Aguilar has done well to create something refreshing with this. Instrumentally it works a treat, taking the hip hop sound somewhere new and creative, though with a dash of retro synths and other elements – that electric guitar in the backdrop – the past and the present meet, along with several genres.
Contrast-wise the switch from the verses to the hook is a huge part of what makes the whole thing work so well. It’s an energizing song but it toys with those energy levels in a captivating way. The release in full undoubtedly gets you interested in the artist and his creative reach. I’d be keen to hear where else his music takes him.
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