Genre-bending Durban musician Blxckie is arguably South African Hip-Hop’s biggest breakout star since A-Reece and Nasty C. From viral teasers of songs that later became hits to sold-out shows of his B4NOW tour, Blxckie’s presence is felt—whether it be Hip-Hop or Amapiano Blxckie. And just days after the successful launch of his sophomore body of work at Matte Black in Bryanston, Johannesburg, Blxckie released his highly-anticipated R&B EP 4LUV and topped music charts almost instantaneously.
4LUV is a kaleidoscope of R&B versatility that benefits greatly from a South African audience that has historically valued melody in their music. The six-track project’s title feels, well, premeditated, yet casual. This is justified by how the EP is an anecdote of young love and all its impassioned themes.
Young Love
Songbird Nicole Elocin – the EP’s only guest – sings, “you’re my sweetheart, highschool” over a lonely electric guitar riff in “Fortune Teller”. This lyric plays into the stereotypical trope of high school sweethearts, which is portrayed time and time again in pop culture as the epitome of young love. And being only 22, Blxckie’s approach of incorporating romance in his art feels right and informed by his experiences that, though not vast, are likely to include intensity and self-discovery.
Gone Boy
In pop culture lingo, a gone boy or girl is someone smitten by their lover; Blxckie is the perfect depiction of this cliché throughout the EP. The superstar sings: “And you don’t gotta change for me, I’m cool with just who you are” on the smooth, jazzy beat of the lead single “Cold”. He further proves to be totally whipped in “Weep”, where he says, “at least I feel alright knowing you love me too.”
The Amapiano-infused log drums on the second single “Umoya” are similar to those of his past record-breaking hits “Sika” and “Kwenzekile”, offering a nostalgic experience. Blxckie blesses us with a Vaito sound (as coined by veteran rapper, Maggz), a Kwaito-powered sub-genre derived from Hip-Hop. The multi-talented artist harmonises his love for someone special with a Vaito beat in his mother tongue, isiZulu (“akekho onjengawe”), emphasising how much of a gone boy he is and keeping to the theme of young love. And those percussive basslines accompanied by soothing melodies are nothing short of spiritual.
Safe Space
On “Weep”, Blxckie sings, “I want you to be safe with me,” along with a vibrant, rolling bassline; this links to how GenZers have popularised the importance of safe spaces, especially in platonic and romantic relationships. Safe spaces make it easier for one to be their authentic self without the fear of being judged or ridiculed. And this vulnerability is sustained through the track where Blxckie harmoniously sings: “girl, you know all my secrets” and “I cried on your shoulder” – lyrics expressable only in a safe space.
Heartbreak & Regret
Expectedly, Blxckie pines about heartbreak and regret, which are inevitable in matters of the heart. However, his approach to this is different from the usual “you broke my heart” narrative, overused in R&B for decades.
While admitting to being heartbroken, Blxckie also acknowledges he played a role in ending a good thing. In the project’s luminous lead single, “Cold”, he pours his heart out. The chorus (“I remember when she asked me if I got a couple of girls on the side and I lied, I said they ain’t like her”) smacks of dishonesty and promiscuity. It contrasts with the usual scope of R&B, which usually borders along the lines of being genuine yet being wronged in relationships. This also alludes to his desire for casual romantic encounters while ironically having the undying hunger for real intimacy and companionship.
Blxckie’s crystalline falsetto in “Cry” details a complicated yet passionate romance, with the musician singing, “I hope these melodies heal you.” Regretful for breaking his lover’s heart, the lyrics further emphasise young love, which is notoriously portrayed as stormy and complex.
The musician’s harmonious melodies are the star of this emotional work of art. The EP’s outro “Your All” is a sentimental ballad with anguished operatic background vocals; it is a cinematic standout that propelled his first studio album’s intro, “Mama It’s Bad”. Both songs have similar harmonies and a harpsichord-associated sound. In the outro, Blxckie sings, “so many open wounds but I’m still holding on” – further alluding to heartbreak.
Pride & Braggadocio
Signs of pride and braggadocio in the project give us a glimpse of Hip-Hop Blxckie. This is true for the EP’s fifth track, “Weep”, which has a more Hip-Hop vibrancy and blurs the line between the two genres. The song is riddled with catchy ad-libs and lyrics such as “right now I’m countin’ up racks”, which both symbolise the Hip-Hop culture. However, the song adopts the EP’s melancholic ambience after its beat switch towards the ending.
Blxckie also sings about the one that got away: “girl, I want you back” and “I’m trying to reconnect.” The theme of pride is one of the complicated aspects of young love since we’re in the “I refuse to text them first” era. And judging from the crafting of the song’s lyrics, Blxckie regrets letting pride get in the way of blooming love—another perfectly captured and relatable pop-culture trope.
Above everything else, the soulful EP is a testament to Blxckie’s limitless versatility as well as his undisputed musicality. It is a tale of the genre-bender’s candid emotions. The slow-groove R&B project plays out like a telenovela: irresistibly fresh, messy, and human.
