by The Cowl Editor on May 2, 2019
Music
by Daniel O’Neill ’21 A&E Staff
On April 18, up-and-coming hip hop artist Aries released his debut album, Welcome Home. The album is a powerful nine-track collective project of his previously released singles. It has been quite the journey for the new artist, as he has been working towards this release since 2018 with the release of his single entitled, “Carousel.”
Aries has sent shockwaves through the hip hop industry, mostly due to his talent as a producer, as well as a songwriter and singer. His musical releases before this album have been rather upbeat and quick songs, but the new album brings his more emotional side into the spotlight. Songs like “Racecar” and “Sayonara” were instant hits for his fans, but new songs like “Pony” show a change to the artist’s pace.
Aries is definitely different from other popular hip hop artists; he has his own YouTube channel where he talks about his own remixes, as well as quick tutorials on the creation of his music. The artist also gives fans an insight into his personal life through vlogs and shows how he accomplishes his creation of music day-to-day. This gives his fans a different perspective on the creation of music in general. He personalizes his artistic processes in this way.
The 25-minute debut album includes some fan favorites that were previously released, but the new songs on the album show off his songwriting ability by melding hip hop with other genres including jazz and rock & roll. His personality is shown on the new tracks, as he writes about personal heartbreak and changes in his life. His YouTube channel, coupled with this artistic change, allows for fans to gain insight into the artistic lifestyle he leads, as well as the all too human problems he faces just like everyone else.
While the change to his lyrics and attitude are important to the album, the most impressive aspect of Aries’ ability as an artist is that he keeps the majority of his songs upbeat, danceable, and rhythmic in some way. The beats he creates to back his songwriting are impressive since they are created from scratch. Most people think that the beats he creates are meant strictly for hip hop music, but his creativity allows for a dynamic range of genres to be used in his production. He has combined jazz, rock, country, and even lo-fi. The thunderous bass and ecstatic high hats are what keeps his songs, regardless of the mood or genre, danceable and catchy.
The lyrics are what fans seem to love the most off of the album. He keeps all of his songs relatable. He is a master of pop in his ability to relate his own life through music while still making his songs catchy.
Aries’ talent as a producer and songwriter makes him a young artist to watch in the coming years.