Beharie Finds Himself On ‘Are You There, Boy?’

Norwegian alternative R&B-soul singer-songwriter Beharie has announced his debut album Are You There, Boy?, that will be released October 20th. While it is the first studio album he is releasing, Beharie has already earned significant recognition for the work he has released since the beginning of his career. He was nominated for and won the Spellemann Award, the award known as a Norwegian Grammy, for his second EP, Beharie // Beharie, and was nominated again for his third EP, Beharie, The Third. The media in Norway has labeled him as “the new star of indie soul/R&B.”

After a listen to Are You There, Boy?, the recognition Beharie has received can be easily understood. The bright, wistful album takes listeners into a carefully curated sonic world. Over 12 tracks, Beharie uses his stimulating melodies and signature butter-like vocals to explore themes of love, longing, desire, heartbreak and self-doubt. He wears his heart on his sleeve throughout the album. Seeking new and old meaningful connections and answers, Beharie tries to find himself and someone else. Discussing the album, Beharie said, “This album conveys stories of a complex character. He is confident, emotional, insecure, curious, loving, and looking for connections. He is searching for both someone and himself. Longing for true connections with the world and with himself. He is confident, playful and daring, but also insecure and not always fully present.”

The album itself explores many different facets and feelings of being human. Its first track, “Wake Up,” almost feels as if Beharie is waking up on the album. It then dives into captivating narratives in the life of Beharie that deal with identity, loneliness, queer love, self-assurance and vulnerabilities. Songs like “Nothing Lasts Forever” explore themes that may be hard to grasp with upbeat instrumentals. Other songs like “Deserve It” provide a sense of comforting reassurance. The album feels as if the sounds of Frank Ocean, NxWorries, and Rex Orange County were combined with the uniqueness of Beharie. Its instrumentals add airiness with feathery percussion and woodwind sections. Among the tracks on the album are the released singles “Heaven,” “Deadly,” “Oh My God,” and “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?” which has nearly 250K streams on Spotify alone already. 

Are You There, Boy?, a self-released album, is set to be released on October 20th. It was mastered by Guy Davie (Michael Kiwanuka) at Electric Mastering in London, England. The album features collaborations by two up-and-coming singer-songwriters: Uly based in Dublin and JudyBlank based in The Netherlands. Everyone should keep an eye on Beharie because, with a debut album of such high quality, his future is sure to bring him even closer to the spotlight. Tour dates are “coming soon” and can be found here.