Take the smooth, rhythmic instrumental of jazz and calming bedroom pop-rap and you’ll end up with “Bluebird” by Ben Beal.
Under Beal’s vocals is a combination of a smooth guitar strumming pattern supplemented by some simple drum beats and vocal samples masterfully weaved through the production. What makes this song stand out – at least to me – is the rap, provided by Kill Bill: The Rapper. It simultaneously forces the indie/pop side of the song to take a backseat but doesn’t divert from the overall feeling of the music. “Bluebird” calls to mind the song “Peach” by Kevin Abstract featuring Dominic Fike – both are laid-back pop/R&B tracks with a small injection of rap to bring in a lo-fi hip-hop moment. This his first single after the release of his album, Birdland, earlier this year.
Originally from New York, Beal is a lyricist currently studying at University of Maryland, where he performs and records his music. He started his venture into the music business when he sampled parts of dollar-bin jazz records to turn into hip-hop instrumentals. He has collaborated with big names such as Sophie Meiers and atlas and has performed with A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, MadeinTYO, and PnB rock. He continues to work with innovative producers such as SwuM, FloFilz, and Beatboxbandit.
Written by Tatum Jenkins
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