American Rapper Lil Yachty’s fifth studio album “Let’s Start Here.” made me feel like I came out of a shroom trip as a completely
different person.
After its release on Friday, this has quickly become my favorite work of his. The trippy and psychedelic sound takes listeners on a journey in Yachty’s shoes.
When listening to albums, I often get bored if each track sounds similar. But “Let’s Start Here.” is cohesive in telling different stories while using similar expansive guitars and looping basslines.
I have admiration for Yachty’s decision to deviate from his typical rap sound, it’s not often popular rappers take the risk of experimenting outside of their usual sound. This was definitely a risky decision and he absolutely nailed it.
“:(failure(:” is a spoken-word song in which Yachty tells listeners he’s often misunderstood, but he accepts that not everyone has
faced the same struggles he has.
I was able to hear Yachty’s frustration in the lyrics, “You know, one man’s rich to the next can be a step from poverty and it’s hard to explain that when you’re so narrow-minded, seeing the world with two eyes shut, and I realize that now some people can’t feel what they haven’t seen, so there’s no point in me trying to
explain my troubles.”
He delivers his message in a calm tone throughout the track, emphasizing how crucial it is to be understanding with others because not everyone can immediately see eye to eye.
“drive ME crazy!” is my favorite track of the album because of how vulnerable the rapper is expressing how much he needs his partner.
Listeners can visualize the excitement his lover brings into his life and how much he needs the lover to stay, or else his life would be dull.
Yachty describes their love as an overwhelming and intense bond in the lyrics, “Imagine me/ Circling through life without a piеce of you/ Seven out of seven days I’m needin’ you/ You bring life to the party/ Good, love feels like butterflies suffocating your insides.”
“paint THE sky” is an emotionally charged piece in which Yachty conveys his deep devotion to his lover, but he needs to know whether or not they feel the same way.
The chorus, “Fiending, falling, crawling, I’m stalling for your love/ You got me drinking, smoking, I might, overdose on your love,” implies his willingness to die for them, which gives the song its name.
The lyrics, “I need to chill/ Emotionally scarred, I cannot feel/ Am I not the one? Am I not the one?/ Not the one, one for you?/ You can keep it real,” suggests that the artist has been through enough turmoil in the past and needs honesty to prevent the
cycle from continuing.
I love this song because of how repetitive the lyrics are, embracing how much he needs his dying question to be answered to
feel reassured.
Yachty’s fearless experimentation is evident in every track, as he skillfully blends elements of
hip-hop, R&B and pop to create a truly unique listening experience.
His bold choices in production, vocals and lyrics make this album a standout in his discography and a testament to his artistic growth.
