Denzel Curry is a rapper known for his high-energy alternative hip-hop bangers. From his breakout hit “Ultimate” to lead single “PERCS|PERCZ,” Curry commonly screams his lyrics over an aggressive drill beat.
However, on his new fifth studio album “Melt My Eyez, See Your Future,” Curry strays from these expectations and his typical style. This album allows fans to see a different side of Curry as he utilizes elevated and mellow traditional hip-hop beats to tackle vulnerable topics like social issues, mental health and self-discovery.
Although it was not what I was expecting, “Melt My Eyez, See Your Future” may be his best work yet.
“Walkin,” the first track released from the album, perfectly sets the tone and foreshadows the theme of the rest of the album. In this track, with its diverse flows and melodies, Denzel Curry illustrates the importance of coping with and healing from injustice and mental health issues by facing them instead of running away or internalizing them. Instead of letting issues consume him, he learns “[he] just gotta stay focused, [he] just gotta keep walkin’.”
Curry takes this philosophy and applies it on “Melt Session #1” and “Mental,” two tracks that remind me of old school hip-hop. On both, he emphasizes that he has the responsibility of processing hardships and taking accountability instead of ignoring them, or “melting [his] eyes.” Curry shares this new perspective he developed after starting therapy to help his listeners through their own struggles.
Curry tackles topics bigger than himself on “The Last” and “John Wayne,” songs about injustice and police brutality. On “John Wayne,” a song produced by JPEGMafia, Curry criticizes the police by referring to their racial injustices. He references the horrific Breonna Taylor case in the line, “911, emergency will murder me the day I call ‘em” to argue why he distrusts officers. He explores this topic further on “The Last” as he expresses how unsafe he feels in a country riddled with violence.
The combination of important subject matter, inspiring themes, and high-quality production distinguishes this album from others in Curry’s discography. Curry proves himself as an artist by diversifying his work and shedding fear to showcase vulnerability and struggle. Overall, “Melt My Eyez, See Your Future” highlights Curry’s growth not only as an artist, but as a person too.
