When Crush released the double single “NAPPA” at the end of August, it was definitely a reminder of why he’s the best in the game.
Crush Flexing on Everyone
There’s something frighteningly brilliant about the way Crush can seemingly express so much with so little. His recent release of single “album” “NAPPA” is testament to his unwavering dedication to finding ways to expand his craft. He does so in the rudest flex I’ve seen this year from a Korean artist. Considering how saturated both the R&B and hip-hop scenes have become, that’s one hell of a claim for a two-song release.
“NAPPA” as a song is a microcosm of everything that Crush stands for musically. For the past couple years he’s made it his mission to find out all the ways in which R&B and its older brother jazz intersect. We saw it in 2016’s “Wonderlust” EP, in singles like 2017’s “Summer Love.” Perhaps the most acute example of this was last year’s “none,” in which he parsed the barest nuances of contemporary R&B and spliced them with traditional jazz vocal conventions.
However, “NAPPA” blends the Brazilian jazz of bossa nova (a genre he’s more in love with lately) with an 808. With the combo he creates something both fresh and classic. It’s this ability to play with the very old and the very new that speaks to both his training as a jazz technician and his natural musical curiosity. He’s quite literally a student of music. He takes what he’s learned and creates work that slots effortlessly in the trained precision of jazz and the classic emotion of R&B.
Nothing more exemplifies this connection to R&B’s emotional core than track “Lookin 4.” There are layers to the song’s musical elegance. Crush does something I’ve been waiting for from South Korea. He actually explores the particular uniqueness of neo-soul. The sub-genre in and of itself is an amalgamation of various traditions in Black music. (Starting with the chord progressions of jazz and ending on the urban grittiness of hip-hop at its edges.)
His vocal performance here is full of so much soul I was hysterical by song’s end. Both emotionally compromised and stricken with an overwhelming urge to laugh out loud. It’s a vocal performance that goes back to the ease and grace of Musiq Soulchild at his peak. Of the late Tony Thompson, lead singer of early-’90s R&B group Hi-Five. Effortless. Full of dimension and depth.
All this, and we haven’t even touched his choice of collaborators. Quite frankly, I should stop acting surprised whenever Crush shows the breadth of his musical vocabulary. Joyce Wrice isn’t the most widely known R&B vocalist in this day and age where they really are a dime a dozen. In an era of H.E.R., SZA, and full-bodied vocalists like Lizzo and Deva Mahal, Ms. Wrice’s is a voice that might get lost in the fray.
However, she has this subtle elegance in the way she delivers each note. Every single time she stretches her voice into the ether, the note she needs is right there. Her tone is undeniable. Smooth. Sultry. Wrapped in a precision worthy of adoration. I’ve been a fan of hers for so long. Realizing that Crush has also found her vocal charms irresistible doesn’t shock me. But the knowledge that she’s on his radar does fascinate and surprise me.
Crush also sought the undeniable production and understated vocal prowess of Devin Morrison. This man’s entire vibe is steeped so intrinsically in the grooves of neo-soul you might think he’s from a different decade altogether. There’s warmth, maturity, control, and incredible depth in his tone. A voice that allows listeners to time travel.
These elements combined create a song that transports true lovers of R&B and its subsets. Jettisons them to a time when the genre stood for something pure and honest. Lyrically “Lookin 4” might not exactly be anything remarkable. But the essence of the song resonates so deeply within me that every listen is an adventure.
Crush’s Playground
Just like the “Interlude” EP before it, Crush used “NAPPA” to make a point. “I do this.” There are instances when he just takes a moment to play around. To truly flex his musical muscles and deliver a purely cerebral experience. Honestly, “NAPPA” just sounds like he sat down at the keyboard one day and pondered the ways he could upstage the entire Korean R&B scene. When he chose a direction, he cracked his knuckles and got down to business.
We are truly blessed Crush is so willing to share his machinations with us. Music is his playground. I’m honored he invited us to play on the jungle gym and merry-go-round with him.