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Dropping his first songs in 2016, Texas artist Teezo Touchdown has taken a little while to blow up, hitting his stride in 2021 after appearing on Tyler, The Creator’s “Call Me If You Get Lost.” Since then, consistent features and solo singles have propelled Teezo’s fame to showcase his powerful voice and creativity.

With his uncredited appearance on Travis Scott’s “Modern Jam,” much of the hip-hop community initially questioned the identity behind the melodic verse, as the experimental “UTOPIA” track helped introduce a hidden gem in alternative rap.

The success of “Modern Jam” has launched him to new heights in not just hip-hop but across the music industry. Teezo announced “How Do You Sleep At Night?” on Aug. 10, preparing fans for the drop on Sept. 8.

Being the first introduction to Teezo’s ability in a full-length project, the experimental attributes in production, vocal range and album rollout of “How Do You Sleep At Night?” fully display how Teezo Touchdown will continue to be a mainstay in music.

Album Overview

Despite being announced after “UTOPIA,” the eventual lead single off of the project “Familiarity” came out on April 3, long before the album’s release date. Teezo discusses his future life plans on the track, stating that “it’s time to find my own space” and “I know that I’ma make it, baby, no if, ands, or buts.”

Teezo would not drop the second single, a collaboration with singer Janelle Monáe titled “You Thought,” until after the album’s announcement. Exploding with guitars and drums during his first verse, the song later slows down into a reflection of one of Teezo’s partners leaving him.

“I thought we were better than that” repeats in the song’s chorus, including mellow vocals from both Monáe and Teezo Touchdown. Between the instrumental shift and emotion behind the lyrics, “You Thought” is a thematic and musical introduction to the rest of the tracklist.

At 14 songs and only three features — Fousheé, Isaiah Rusk and Monáe — the artist’s personal entanglements in love, lust and the journey to stardom shine through.

For his rollout he put together short films on his Instagram account, posting a different video for each song on the tracklist. From showing off his eccentric outfits or construction nail-coated hair, each video’s abstract visuals along with the rapper’s body language mesh with its track’s lyrics and instrumentals.

With a similar vibe to Lil Yachty’s January release “Let’s Start Here,” the alternative, psychedelic rock vision may not be for every hip-hop listener, but “How Do You Sleep At Night?” stands as an immensely strong debut for the budding superstar.

Standout Tracks

Skipping forward to track three, “UUHH” is a continuation of the love story mentioned in the second song, “You Thought,” but this time addressing what might be on each other’s minds. Whether it be tension or lovesickness between the pair, the song pushes how he genuinely feels about the relationship, saying he can “see it in her eyes” and can “read between the lines” of what might be happening in her mind.

“UUHH,” like most of the songs on the album, presents a powerful vocal performance, creating a euphoric feeling that’s additionally assisted by phenomenal mixing and production.

In “Too Easy,” the rapper draws from heavy rock influence yet again, utilizing a head-banging instrumental flooded with electric guitars, synths, and drums, although this is just the first part of the song.

The second portion of the track contains an instrumental switch, slowing down its pace and welcoming in serenading vocals. Singing to his significant other “I’ma try to make it easier to give you what you need” and “I’ma try to make it easier for you to leave,” Teezo Touchdown hints that he wants the transition from lovers to strangers to be as easy as possible for both parties.

Track 11, “Daddy Mama Drama,” goes more into the personal life of the artist and his rocky relationship with his parents. He says “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” when discussing his personality compared to his parents, yet through the lyrics, we hear that once Teezo Touchdown turned 13, they stopped providing him with the same attention.

Dragging himself back and forth through guilt, hate and missing their relationship, listeners are introduced to the personal side that he has not talked about much in his music. “Neighborhood,” seems to tell a story about the trials and tribulations of everyday life, but “Daddy Mama Drama,” focuses more on his experience growing up.

Final Thoughts

Progressing through personal journeys, rock pieces and classic melodic experiences throughout, “How Do You Sleep At Night?” is a must-listen because of the experimental, unique style Teezo Touchdown meshes together.

A little bit of rock, alternative, hip-hop and more are sporadically spread around the project, truly making it a respectable, creative debut. Using the hype from “Modern Jam” helped make this one of the more anticipated releases for the second half of the year, and now that it’s here, it is clear why that was the case.

Hip-hop fans may not be surprised to recognize the similarities with Lil Yachty’s “Let’s Start Here,” but much of this album gives off a more futuristic take especially through the production and instrumentals. With that being said, this could be an album we look back on once more developed, ultramodern releases hit the shelves.

This only marks the start for the rising artist, and it will be interesting to see how his discography expands following this release.

Published on September 11, 2023 at 9:31 pm