Celebrating the release of Ty Dolla $ign‘s new album Beach House 3, I’m going to take a look at one of my favourite tracks that were released prior to the album.
Having taken a listen to the album, the song that caught my attention the most is Dawsin’s Breek featuring Jeremih. Amongst a few other tracks on his new album such as So Am I, which adopts the reggae dancehall vibe, and Stare which is simply a great bop and no wonder considering it features Pharrell.
What initially drew me into the track was the first ten seconds, sounding like something out of a movie as the character enters some sort of safe haven, the fading sound gave me the immediate impression this was going to be a chilled summer vibe. Shortly accompanied by short tapping sounds I came to a conclusion that I would instantly enjoy the song. A mixture of bass and up-tempo beats makes this one of my summer songs. (Havana is of course at the top of my list!) Oh na-na…
Although he may not sound too lyrically intelligent in his songs, in terms of interpreting sound and making the most out of compositions, Ty Dolla $ign is incredibly clever. He is easily distinguishable amongst similar rappers and R’n’B vocalists giving his scratchy and rather croaky voice. At times I find it hard to listen to Ty’s songs, I find the feeling and sensation similar to fingernails dragging down a chalkboard. But, having said that, I can take small doses of rap melodies and creative ad-libs coming from him, and there is no doubt that Ty Dolla $ign can hold a fair note with a R’n’B flare.
Inspired by the American drama series Dawson’s Creek, the track does a great job of creating anticipation and for filling climactic points within the composition and vocal ranges. Taking the chorus, for example, we hear Ty’s vocals consistently rising while the beat and tempo remains the same, which I quite enjoy singing along to as it creates momentum as his verse begins. Unexpectedly but fortunately, when the verses do kick in, we hear, what sounds like, faint chord progressions, which totally throws me off. Rather than giving me basic hip-hop vibes, I feel thriller, fantasy, and like I said previously a safe haven vibe. On top of that, the beats and bass continue the same sort of flow throughout, changing only when the song reaches those peaks which make the song even more addictive to listen to. Overall, this song I feel was a turning point for my opinions on Ty.
Just as I was beginning to get tired of his repetitiveness on tracks, whether it be his own, or on features, he releases this bop. Carrying the same sort of flows and melodies can be a great asset to artists such as Ty Dolla $ign, especially giving the genre he is in where there are many distinctive rappers. But eventually, too much can get tedious and this song swayed my opinion in some form. On a final note, I’m not a big fan of the music video itself, but luckily Spotify is to hand! Also, I enjoyed Jeremih’s sultry voice although think that maybe his verse could have lasted a little longer?
Editor/Author of Music Content: Sharna Bains
