The Kid Laroi’s ‘Before I Forget’ is a daring tilt at superstardom — an album centred around heartbreak and jagged melody that displays something unique in placing the Australian vocalist’s talent and versatility centre stage. It gets 2026 off to a flying start.
Me + You begins with the sort of beat that Mac Miller used to make his own, with a dreamy melody coursing through it. The lyrics demonstrate sadness at the loss of love but also a clear hint of resentment. “I had your back when nobody else did, now I gotta fall back / Say we’ll talk in one month, baby, don’t try to crawl back,” he intones, flipping the sentiment with sweet vocals.
July feels like the embodiment of the month — summery, with a cool breeze and a measured tempo. Again, there is a clever contrast between the instrumental and the lyrics, which hammer home the theme of heartbreak.
Each section flows towards a seismic outro, each lyric becoming more deliciously vindictive: “It’s so lonely on the road, are you sick of complaining? / How long ‘til all the things you’re pushing down come up and you face ‘em?”
Back When You Were Mine rounds ‘Before I Forget’ off nicely with influences from gospel mingling with funky bass and, overall, the album’s biggest strength might be its consistency. Thank God, Never Came Back and A Perfect World are all keepers, situating the Kid Laroi as one to keep a very close eye on this year.
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