As I have stated many times on this blog recently, Milwaukee music has become one of the most riveting regional scenes in the country. Of course, Milwaukee Hip Hop is absolutely thriving, with the city’s vibrant Slap music scene taking the internet by storm. Not only is the city home to one of the most exciting rising movements in Rap music, though, but there are artists making Punk Rock, Pop Music, and R&B that are making a name for themselves in Milwaukee, too. One artist who has been making waves in Milwaukee outside of that well-known Hip Hop scene is Micah Emrich. He has been steadily rising and growing over the last few years, going from a local star to a respected rising R&B artist. Micah Emrich is an artist who draws from a vast amount of influences, and their music can go in so many different directions. He takes elements of R&B, Hip Hop, Alternative Rock, and even Folk, and packages them in a way that stands out awesomely. After dropping a multitude of enticing singles and multiple high-quality EPs in the early 2020s, Micah Emrich put out their debut album, PROMISES, in 2024. This ended up being one of my favorite projects of last year, as Micah demonstrated great diversity in his sound and showed how talented a vocalist and musician he is. Recently, Micah Emrich released their second album, HARD TO LOVE. Below, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite songs from this new record, and also give some overall thoughts at the end to close things out. Please let me know in the comments below how you feel about Micah Emrich’s HARD TO LOVE, and also comment the names of any other artists you think I should check out!

MEDICINE

As I alluded to in the introduction, Micah Emrich’s musical style typically sounds like it takes many different inspirations. ‘Medicine’ is a song that certainly embodies this. ‘Medicine’ is a song that feels like it is multiple genres all in one. The song has a very groovy Neo-Soul melody that reminds me of the late, great Deangelo, but a tempo and vocal style that makes me think of Alternative Hip Hop music. The instrumental for this song is very encompassing, but also a bit brisk. The bassline is smooth, but the intricacy of the guitar riff feels crisp. Micah’s delivery on this track has a sing-rap cadence to it. I really like the sort of delivery on this instrumental, as it gives the song so much texture. The song concludes with an instrumental outro that is very atmospheric and sounds like it came out of the 1970s. On ‘Medicine,’ he sings of a relationship that seems to be going in circles. Even though things are always positive, he still can not get enough of this person. 

CALL ME WHEN YOU’RE LONELY

According to Micah’s Spotify, ‘Call Me When You’re Lonely’ is the non-single from this project that is popping off the most right now. Frankly, it is not difficult to see why that is the case, as this is a track I immediately downloaded. I would say this track probably has the most conventionally modern R&B Trap feeling from this album. The song is driven by a deliberate yet light Trap beat that is perfectly laid-back. The melody for this song is very warm and floaty. The synths and sound effects that make up this melody feel futuristic and retro at the same time. Micah’s vocals on this song are great. He shows off his range by hitting some nice high notes and demonstrates multiple flows that really drive the emotional element of the song home. Lyrically, ‘Call Me When You’re Lonely’ covers Micah’s infatuation for and willingness to help his love, and how he wants to be there to help her whenever she needs anything. 

FIND A WAY

In the past, some of my favorite Micah Emrich tracks have been ones that are very relaxed and a bit more stripped back. ‘Find A Way’ is a song that fits into that category and does not fit into that category at the same time. Although the production on this track is actually sort of complex and heavy, there is something about this song that feels so light and cozy. The piano-driven melody and the synths that complement make this song super sweet and welcoming. The beat is somewhat faint, but it has a level of punchiness that hits nicely. As nice as this instrumental is, the best thing about ‘Find A Way’ is easily Micah’s awesome vocal performance. His tone is just as inviting and snug as the melody, and the high notes he hits give the track so much emphasis. On ‘Find A Way,’ Micah sings about some of the problems in his relationship and how he needs to work through his own troubles before he fixes the problems with this person. 

I DON’T CARE

Not only is ‘I Don’t Care’ the last single that was dropped in anticipation of this record, it is also the record’s last track. Out of everything on this record, it probably feels the most retro, which is saying something. There is something about ‘I Don’t Care’ that feels so classic. It truly has a 1950s Pop feeling to it, which is really nice. This is probably the simplest song of the project. Instrumentally, it consists of a single guitar riff that is put on top of a slow and light beat. This guitar riff is so sugary and lovely; it has a very tropical feeling to it that is so lovely. Micah’s vocals on this track contain so much passion and feel so tender, matching the feeling of the instrumental so well. On ‘I Don’t Care,’ Micah sings about how strong a love he has for his significant other. He states that he will do anything for them and doesn’t care how hard it gets. ‘I Don’t Care’ is an excellent way to close out this project, as it sonically and lyrically brings things to a pleasant finish.

One thing that is alluded to in the introduction and throughout the write-up is that it is kind of difficult to pinpoint the genre that Micah Emrich is making. There are many elements of different kinds of music; his sound is truly so wide-ranging. Hard To Love is an album that truly embodies this feeling. At times, I would say it is Hip Hop or R&B, and at other times, it sounds like Indie Pop or Folk. I feel like this is what makes Micah Emrich enticing as an artist. No matter what style of music he is trying to make, he always attacks it uniquely and puts his heart and soul into it. Because of its diversity in sound, Hard To Love is a project with something to love for many kinds of music listeners. The songs that I did not mention from Hard To Love are also quality, and they also offer something different and distinct. As cool and interesting as the instrumentals are, the biggest strength of this project is Micah’s writing and vocal performances. I think this is his best project yet in both those regards. He shows more range than ever with his vocals, and I love how he bares his heart lyrically on every song. Overall, Hard To Love is a really solid and enjoyable album from one of Milwaukee’s biggest rising stars. Micah Emrich is one of Milwaukee’s best artists right now, and he only continues to get better.