Lil Yachty has branched out far from his usual music with the Jan. 27 release of his fifth studio album, “Let’s Start Here.” It is his first full release since 2020 and one I’m happy to see. Yachty’s experimentation with different styles of music made this an engaging listen.
This album reaches into a few different genres with songs ranging from callbacks to 70s and 80s hits to experimental rock. Overall, a common theme is very well-produced beats and unique vocals. There are a few hits on the album, but also definitely some misses.
Some cool transitions between songs really makes listening to the whole album in one sitting worth the time.
After a few listens, it seems like this album could be very polarizing; you’ll either really like or really dislike it. It’s not for everyone, but everyone should give it a listen nonetheless.
the BLACK seminole – Replay
The first song on the album is “the BLACK seminole,” which functions as a great opening. It isn’t the craziest or strangest song on the album, but it gives you a good taste of what’s to come.
As soon as the song starts, it is very clear that this strays away from the kind of music that Yachty has typically made in the past. The highly-produced psychedelic rock beat is unique and seems to draw some inspiration from bands such as Pink Floyd.
Since this is the first song on the album, it is also the first time we are introduced to Yachty’s vocals, which are pretty much all singing. These vocals really stand out to me due to their range. I haven’t heard many rappers offer this range so consistently throughout an entire album, which makes it impressive.
It’s very interesting to hear him sing, as most people are used to exclusively hearing him rap. It is extremely easy to tell that it is him, though, due to his very recognizable voice that is hard to describe without hearing him. If you enjoy his voice, then this song is very good.
“The BLACK Seminole” has multiple sections that progress and flow into each other and go together well with both vocal and instrumental transitions. It is well-produced but not overproduced. The vocals are good but are so recognizably Yachty’s that, in my opinion, they can’t be classified as great, but this can be excused because this is a relatively new space for him. “the BLACK seminole” was a bold venture into a new genre of experimental rock for Yachty, and one I’ll listen to again.
Rating: 4/5
:(failure:) – No Way
Most albums have an interlude, and some are monologues. The thing is, it’s usually pretty easy to tell if a song is an interlude from its tone or its title. However, “:(Failure(:,” didn’t make it obvious.
It opened up with a cool beat, and I was excited. Then Yachty started talking. Initially, I was excited, but I slowly realized I was anticipating a beat drop that would never come.
Instead, he just kept talking to the point where I couldn’t even focus on what he was saying.
Despite this, I still enjoyed the chill synth and other electronic instrumentals.
“:(Failure(:” is an unexciting interlude without much to offer. It is definitely the lowlight of the album and, honestly, isn’t worth a listen.
Rating: 1.5/5
THE Zone~ – Replay
When listening to the album for the first time, “The Zone~” didn’t really stand out to me. It was solid, like many of the songs on this album, but it didn’t seem like anything special.
On further listening, the song really grew on me. It features Justine Skye, who is one of the better features on the entire album.
“The Zone~” shares some of the same vibes as “The BLACK Seminole,” yet somehow feels a little more out there. It’s a good song on its own, but Yachty’s distorted vocals on this song were some of the most interesting across the whole album.
On top of these things, Justine Skye’s feature is surprisingly good. It’s short, but the silky vocals are filled with emotion and elevate the song to a level it would not have reached otherwise.
Finally, “THE Zone~” features a very smooth, almost seamless transition into the next song on the album, “WE SAW THE SUN!” Unfortunately, “WE SAW THE SUN!” isn’t as interesting as “THE Zone~,” but the synthesizer transition is cool nonetheless.
“THE Zone~” is an enjoyable, solid song with some interesting sections that stand out. Despite this, as a whole, the song isn’t anything super special.
Rating: 3/5
drive ME crazy! – Replay *
My personal favorite song on the album is definitely “drive ME crazy!” This is primarily because every factor of it is good. Most of the other replayable songs on this album have had some really good aspects, but also some that are just okay.
“drive ME crazy!” has an extremely good instrumental that is very well produced with a great bassline and some cool synth work.
On some of the other songs on this album, such as “the BLACK seminole,” it is easy to see where the inspiration for the beat and the vocals came from. On “drive Me crazy!” this isn’t as easy. It feels like a mashup of a few different genres, from 70’s disco to indie rock, with its different sections, giving it a unique feel.
The song is enjoyable to listen to from start to finish. It really seems like the highlight of the album. It’s replayable and is the only song on the album to make it into my personal playlist.
Rating: 4/5
— By Andrew Burr
