BLK ODYSSY Releases New Single & Tiny Desk
Austin-based vocalist and genre experimentalist, BLK ODYSSY makes a compelling return with his first single of the year “WANT YOU,” co-produced by Tyler Johnson (Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus, Ed Sheeran, and more), out now via EMPIRE. The track unfurls a romantic tragedy, delving into the story of unrequited love and the ensuing mental turmoil of isolation and despair that accompanies rejection.
With romantically charged pleas of desperation set to pulsating drums, synthesized guitar strings, and airy vocals, BLK expresses “I don’t give a fuck what my daddy say / Baby hit my line and I’ll be on the way/ In a 45 I’m doing yeah 98…Overthink shit, I overcompensate.”
The new single marks a sonic evolution and a step towards a more pop sound, a blend that feels both contemporary and reverent to the roots of R&B and hip-hop, ensuring familiarity for both existing and new fans alike. “I’ve never felt more liberated as an artist than I do now,” BLK ODYSSY said, “This next collection of songs demonstrates that hip-hop and R&B artists don’t need to be confined by the status quo and norms. Music is a feeling, and this is simply what provoked emotion in me at the time.” BLK debuted “WANT YOU” on one of the first on NPR Tiny Desk Concerts of 2024, alongside tracks from his 2023 album, DIAMONDS & FREAKS.
BLK ODYSSY, a versatile artist, producer, and songwriter with influences from Kendrick Lamar, D’Angelo, Outkast, and Funkadelic, originates from Plainfield, New Jersey. Motivated by personal loss and experiences as a black male in 21st-century America, BLK ODYSSY’s debut album BLK VINTAGE garnered critical acclaim in 2021–was followed by a 2022 re-release via EMPIRE with added tracks featuring Mereba, George Clinton, Benny The Butcher, and more– reflects his maturation, celebration, and critique of black identity in contemporary society.
Building upon the success of BLK VINTAGE, BLK ODYSSY unveiled his critically heralded sophomore album DIAMONDS & FREAKS, an explicit erotic fantasy, that earned praise from The New York Times, Billboard, and included on Los Angeles Times, VIBE, and NPR’s Best Albums of 2023.
With the debut of “WANT YOU,” BLK ODYSSY not only introduces a new sonic era, but also embarks on a transformative chapter in his own artistic odyssey. Crafting a distinctive path, he establishes a trailblazing genre where he asserts his individuality and creative prowess.
Photo Credit: Elizabeth Miranda