Blxst is someone I have always meant to check out, for whatever reason, though, I have never really gotten around to it. To be honest, I have really only heard Blxst a couple of times, and that is on features. His contributions to Kendrick Lamar’s track ‘Die Hard’ and Fireboy DML’s track ‘Peru’ are certainly memorable, but I have not dug into his music much beyond these instances. I have always heard that he is a Hip Hop artist who is willing to step outside the box and not make music within the norm of his peers, and that is something I am very into. From what I know about him, like the last artist I wrote about, Denzel Curry(even if their actual music style is very different), Blxst is definitely a “rapper’s rapper.’ Blxst is very respected by his peers for his lighthearted, sultry, and deep style of music. Although he is pretty popular, he has not necessarily had the kind of success that he probably should have had considering his respect within the industry. Blxst has been putting out music for quite a while, as his first releases date back to the early 2010s. Over the years, he has gained the support of many fellow Los Angeles artists; Kendrick Lamar, YG, Tyga, Ty Dolla $ign, and many others have made music with Blxst and endorsed him over the years and put him up as an artist that needs to be paid attention to more. Blxst’s 2022 debut mixtape, Before You Go, was lauded by critics and Hip Hop heads, and it cemented as one to watch on the come-up in this genre. Blxst recently released his debut album, titled I’ll Always Come Find You. This is a vast and complex record that certainly shows how wide-ranging Blxst’s talents are. Below, I am going to highlight some of my favorite songs from I’ll Always Come Find You, and then I will go over some of my opinions about the record as a whole at the end. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from Blxst’s I’ll Always Come Find You, and also comment on how you feel about the record as a whole.

PAPER ROUTE FEAT. 2 CHAINZ

Going into this album, I did not know exactly what to expect Blxst to do. I knew he was known for more R&B-tinted Hip Hop, but I was not sure how far this theme would go. ‘Paper Route’ with 2 Chainz is a great way for me to be introduced to the theme and direction of where this album is trying to go. The melody for ‘Paper Route’ is so warm and atmospheric. It has a smooth R&B late-night feeling that makes me want to cruise around by the beach with a blunt lit and the top down. I like the backing vocals that come in and out of this synth-driven melody, as they make this melody feel so full. The beat for ‘Paper Route’ is punchy yet laid-back, giving the song emphasis but not overpowering the melody. Blxst’s singing on this song is very nice and sits on the instrumental well. 2 Chainz’s gruff tone contrasts Blxst’s in a cool manner and gives the track texture. On ‘Paper Route,’ Blxst and 2 Chainz rap about grinding for what you want and not letting anyone distract you from your goals. ‘Paper Route’ is a good opening track for this record, as it is a solid effort that introduces the listener to what is to come.

LONG WAY FEAT. AMANDA REIFER

‘Long Way’ has a unique sound that reminds me a lot of an album that dropped recently that I enjoyed a lot. The first thing I thought when checking this track out was, “Man, this sounds like Kaytranada.’ I am kind of surprised that Blxst was not on Kaytranada’s new album considering the sound of this track and how natural he sounds on it. This song has the kind of Funk House beat and melody one would expect to hear from a track produced by him. My favorite thing about this melody is the deep and luscious synths that come in to complement the melody of the chorus. These deeper tones give the song energy and life, making it more impactful. Similar to ‘Paper Route,’ the way that Blxst’s feature contrasts his tone gives the song texture. Blxst’s flow and tone are so even-keeled, whereas Amanda Reifer’s more raspy and rangey vocals inject ‘Long Way’ with so much life. On Long Way,’ Blxst and Amanda Reifer talk about losing who they are and who they are close with as they become more wealthy and famous. ‘Long Way’ is a funky little bop that has Kaytranada written all over it, and I can dig that. 

TOO MANY FRIDAY NIGHTS FEAT. FATMAN SCOOP

‘Too Many Friday Nights’ with Fatman Scoop is easily the most upbeat and energetic song of the project so far. This song leans into a style of Electronic music that I dig a lot and think is very underrated. The melody and beat for ‘Too Many Friday Nights’ have a definitive Downtempo House sound. When I hear this one, it makes me think of artists like Disclosure or Duke Dumont. The melody for this one is a lot darker than anything before it; the synths that drive this one are a bit melancholy and cold(the siren sounds that come in and out add to this coldness). The beat has a quick tempo but is also kind of calming. It is the kind of song you can both turn up to and wind down to, which is pretty interesting. Blxst’s vocal performance on this one is solid and smooth, but I will say it does not do too much to amplify the track. The real energy comes from the yelling vocal bits we get from Fatman Scoop, as it sounds like a DJ yelling while performing a live set. On ‘Too Many Friday Nights,’ Blxst sings about how he goes out too much and needs to calm down his crazy lifestyle. ‘Too Many Friday Nights’ is a nice buffer from the calm nature of the first several tracks, and injects the album with vigor. 

RISK TAKER FEAT. OFFSET

‘Risk Taker’ with Offset is a track that is quickly emerging as a fan favorite from this record, and it is not tough to see why. This track has a totally different style of beat than anything before it. There is a sweet R&B tone to the melody that is similar to the preceding tracks, but the beat for this one has a Reggaeton tempo. After the mostly laid-back R&B-infused Dance music theme the album has had before this, this more Caribbean style of drums provides a bit of variance for this record which I appreciate a bunch. Blxst sounds so natural on this beat. I really like how his flow and tone slide on this instrumental, as it makes the song so catchy. Offset does his thing on this track as well. His harsher tone contrasts Blxst’s nicely and gives the song a gritty feeling it benefits from. On ‘Risk Taker,’ Blxst and Offset are hyping up their partner and telling them about all the extravagant things they are going to do together. ‘Risk Taker’ is a bit of a risk considering what the album has sounded like up until this point, and it works out big time. 

DANCE WITH THE DEVIL FEAT. ANDERSON .PAAK

When I started listening to this album, one of my opening thoughts was that Anderson .Paak was going to sound great with Blxst on the song he is featured in. I am happy to say I was very correct with that idea, as ‘Dance With The Devil’ is one of the highlights of this record for sure. Similar to Kaytranada, I am honestly surprised Blxst was not featured on Anderson’s new record considering how great they sound together on this one. It is easy to hear how great their chemistry is and their styles of music are somewhat similar, so that one does baffle me. I will say there is not anything especially outstanding about this track, but it is just very good for what it is. The instrumental is light and groovy; I especially like the horns that come in and out. Anderson .Paak and Blxst complement each other perfectly; their vocal styles are pretty similar, and they bounce off each other well. On ‘Dance With The Devil, Blxst and Anderson are singing about wanting to try things out with a former partner one last time because they miss this person so much. It is not a surprise that ‘Dance With The Devil’ works like it does considering the undeniable chemistry of these two. 

REWIND FEAT. FEID AND BECKY G

‘Rewind’ is another track where Blxst goes with the Reggaeton theme we heard on the song ‘Risk Taker.’ On this one, however, he enlists the help of two artists who are very prevalent in that genre. That decision was a phenomenal choice, as Becky G and Feid do steal the show on this one. As far as the instrumental goes, it is not the most riveting thing you will ever hear. The melody is simple, bright, and fun, and the bouncy beat will get anyone dancing when it comes on. I will say, this feels more like a Becky G song than a Blxst song. She really takes the lead on this one, with Feid and Blxst coming in to compliment her. Do not get me wrong, Feid and Blxst sound very nice on this track, but Becky G takes charge and puts the quality of this track over the top. On ‘Rewind,’ Blxst, Feid, and Becky G reminisce on a past relationship and wonder if they should try to rekindle things with this new person. ‘Rewind’ is a cool track where Blxst once again shows a bit of diversity, but he does get overshadowed a bit on this one.

BETTER OFF FRIENDS FEAT. JOYCE WRICE

‘Better Off Friends,’ which gets assistance from Joyce Wrice is easily the song that’s the least like the others on this record. In fact, within the context of the album, it almost feels out of place. That said, it is also one of the best songs on the album, and its different sound is a bit of a breath of fresh air. Sonically, this song feels inspired by 1990s Boom Bap music. The melody and beat for this one have elements that are so reminiscent of artists like Bell Biv Devoe or Bobby Brown. One of the best things about this song is how simple are raw it sounds. Whereas a lot of the other music on the record has a more full feeling, the sparseness of this one makes it pop. Both Blxst and Joyce Wrice sound so great in ‘Better Off Friends.’ Blxst quick flow and low tone fit the beat so well, and Joyce Wrice’s delicate tone contrasts his deeper tone perfectly. On ‘Better Off Friends,’ Blxst and Joyce Wrice wonder if it would just be more beneficial to slow things down with their new partner. ‘Better Off Friends’ is a dope switch-up in sound for this record which gives it some nice variance.

I NEED YOUR LOVE FEAT. TY DOLLA $IGN

In my opinion, one of the coolest moments of the record so far was the song where Blxst turned up the energy and went with the Downtempo House music sound. We return to that sound on ‘I Need Your Love,’ and it is another major highlight from this record. Like ‘Too Many Friday Nights,’ this song is pretty dark compared to the rest of the record. In fact, I would say ‘I Need Your Love’ is the most gloomy song on the record. The overall of this track is especially riveting because the sample that drives the melody is pretty bright. The way it is flipped and put on top of this jumping beat, however, makes it pretty grimy (in the best way). Both Blxst and Ty Dolla $ign just kill it on this track. Their tones and flows work so well on this beat, and they both add so much life to the track to really make it pop. ‘I Need Your Love’ is pretty lyrically straightforward, with Blxst and Ty Dolla $ign expressing their desire to spend the night with their new partner. ‘I Need Your Love’ is the biggest banger on this album and is bound to fill up dance floors this summer. 

TO THE MOON

For the most part, up until this point, this album has had more of a faster pace full of music that is meant to get people dancing. ‘To The Moon’ is one of the slower songs on the album, really relaxing the mood a considerable amount. Even though ‘To The Moon’ is a calmer track, it still feels very impactful. The melody for this one feels even more retro than a lot of what comes before it, which is saying a lot. Whereas a lot of the other melody has some squeaky synths that give it a modern feel, the groovy bassline and guitar riff that drive this track make it feel like it comes right out of the 1970s. Even the drum pattern on ‘To The Moon’ has a classic feeling; its tempo toes the line between Trap and old-school funk, making it sound retro and fresh at the same time. ‘To The Moon’ may have the best vocal performance from Blxst on this record. His range on this track is vast and his flow is clean, making it a captivating listen. On ‘To The Moon,’ Blxst is professing his love for his new partner and stating all of the things he would do for them. ‘To The Moon’ is not the most exciting song on the record, but its easygoing nature makes it extra compelling.

These days, it is not too often that I go into an album totally blind on what to expect, but that was the case with Blxst’s I’ll Always Come Find You. In other cases where I do not know much about the artist before writing about them, I can usually gather what direction they may go in by listening to some of their past music. With Blxst, however, the little amount of music from his has been so varied I thought this album could have gone in any direction. Now, no one can say that I’ll Always Come Find You is a very original or innovative piece of music. In fact, I would say its sound is somewhat generic. On a couple of songs, I compared him to Kaytranada and Anderson .Paak, but I have to say this feels like a watered-down version of those styles of music. It certainly has the same base and theme, but it is not as boundary-pushing as some of the music we get from those artists. The lyricism on I’ll Always Come Find You is deep and introspective, but not necessarily revealing. Although the emotional sentiment is there, I do not think I know much more about Blxst after listening to this record than I did before checking it out. Still, for what it is worth, I’ll Always Come Find You is very enjoyable. I would say that there are only a couple of actual skips on this record in my opinion. It is the kind of project that is fun to listen to all the way through, as it flows so well sonically. Although there are not many risks taken on I’ll Always Come Find You, there is a bit of variance that is appreciated. The instances where he dives into Deep House, Reggaeton, and Boom Bap give the album a slightly different energy that stands out, making sure the album does not feel too cookie-cutter. Overall, Blxst does prove how talented he is on this record, and he shows why his peers appreciate him so much. I do wish this album was popping off a bit more because it has a pretty even-keeled sound that can appeal to Pop, Hip Hop, R&B, and Dance music fans. I’ll Always Come Find You is a satisfying debut record from Blxst where he exhibits his talent and shows some diversity as an artist, which is something I can certainly get behind.