Denzel Curry — Melt My Eyez See Your Future — Album Review
Hip-Hop | Rap
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
Denzel Curry is most clearly known as the perfect rapper for mosh pits, thanks to his unrelenting and incredibly gritty demeanour. This indeed felt apparent upon listening to his 2019 album ZUU; his fourth studio album, and my personal full introduction to the artist. I was amazed by the raw talent and creativity that was exuded by the Florida-born rap artist, and I had been a fan ever since.
This grittiness was only solidified even further with his collaborative album with Kenny Beats, released back in 2020, titled UNLOCKED. It was clear that Denzel Curry had chiseled out his own unique aesthetic to completion; but what comes next?
My anticipation was sky-high for whatever Curry had rolled up his sleeve for a new album cycle. and earlier this year, my expectation were not only met but surpassed by the teaser tracks that served to herald the arrival of his brand new fifth solo studio album. The teaser tracks in question, including “Walkin” and “Zatoichi”, paired the artist’s stellar flo with some truly unique and amazing beats (as well as a feature from slowthai in the case of the latter). All things said, I was truly excited for the arrival of Melt My Eyez See Your Future.
I was expecting a great album for sure, but what I didn’t expect was the contextual direction this album would go in. In contrast to the loud and gritty projects we are sed to, Melt My Eyez See Your Future is by far the most tender and introspective album from Denzel Curry to date, and shows a far more reflective and humble side to the artist.
As an after effect of exactly that, this album clicked with me as a listener instantly, in the sense that it is an album that is far more relatable than many other albums in 2022’s rap catalogue. There ittle show-offiness to be heard here, and far more hard-hitting truths.
With the new narrative brought by the album in play, it is complemented wonderfully by the phenomenal production. It definitely plays a part in the first leg of the album alone carrying some of my favourite Denzel tracks in his entire discography. Not only that, but the overall quality of the production brings a similar level of atmosphere that some of the most iconic rap albums in recent memory have also brought to the table.
Pretty much every track on this thing has something to contribute to the album, whether that be moving the narrative forward, adding a unique element to the overall atmosphere, or both. The only exception to this would be track number 4 “John Wayne”, which isn’t a bad track by any stretch of the imagination, but one that didn’t have as much of a grip than the others.
All in all, Denzel Curry took the best step forward, considering how well-received he had already been, through Melt My Eyez See Your Future. As if curry’s discography wasn’t already stellar enough, he really went above and beyond with this amazing record.
Favourite Tracks: Melt Session #1 | Walkin | Worst Comes To Worst | Mental
Least Favourite Track: John Wayne
PH Recordings | Loma Vista | Concord
