“This was the path I had to take,” Jordan Rakei sings during A Little Life. ‘The Loop’, his fifth record, is full of references like this one. Since relocating from his family home in Brisbane to London in 2015 — later collaborating with artists including Tom Misch, Disclosure, and Loyle Carner — he has grown both personally and professionally.
Here Rakei reflects from a new perspective. He’s no longer the bedroom producer he once was — he’s also now a father, having moved to the suburbs with his wife, son, and dog, and there have been knock on effects. The singer-songwriter has used social media in the past month to explain how parenthood has made him dig deeper as an artist and writer.
Previously methodical in terms of his writing process, on ‘The Loop,’ Rakei is more personal. He touches upon youthfulness and parenthood, but also the relationship he has with his inner child beneath the surface.
The opener Flowers is an upbeat love song dedicated to his wife, while the cinematic, orchestral Learning feels fueled by the childlike desire to carry on with a bruised knee.
Interestingly, these moments also feel sonically distant and experimental when compared to his past music, something that’s furthered by the hard-hitting, chilling choir heard on Freedom.
By way of contrast, the groove-laden Trust is a bubble of light energy. A crooning R&B bop that weighs itself up against more indulgent moments, it signifies another area of growth in Rakei’s work. He is sparing when it comes to displaying in the soulful warmth of his voice, instead using it like the instrument it is. When combined with vocal hooks like the one that drives Freedom, these elements all add up to his best album to date.
Jordan Rakei Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows
Thu September 26 2024 - MANCHESTER Albert Hall
Fri September 27 2024 - BRISTOL Bristol Beacon
Tue October 01 2024 - LONDON Royal Albert Hall
Fri October 04 2024 - LONDON Royal Albert Hall
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