There is no better way to kick off this weekend than soothing your soul with uplifting music, delivered by South African dance music icon Black Coffee, who has finally unveiled his new studio album ‘Subconsciously‘. Music lovers around the world have been eagerly waiting for his LP to drop after he teased us with better and better singles last year.
Without a doubt, ‘Subconsciously’ was worth waiting for. On this 12-track LP, Black Coffee explores multiple genres, dives deep and lets the listener into his mind, inducing different emotions with every song. It opens with a chill mood setter, ‘Lost’ featuring Greek-born artist DJ Angelo and British multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Jinadu, which is followed by delicate piano chords on ‘You Need Me‘, including Bronx-born songstress Maxine Ashley with her impassioned vocals and South African star producer Sun-El Musician. ‘SBCNCSLY’, a silky and emotive dance track features chart-topping US singer and songwriter Sabrina Claudio, whose ethereal vocals blend perfectly with the bittersweet piano chords. ‘Ready For You‘ is another prime example of Black Coffee’s top-tier production skills, enlisting English singer Celeste, whose tender voice will make you forget about your problems in a minute. Having a fellow local songstress Msaki enchanting the listener with her flawless vocals on jazz-inspired ‘Wish You Were Here‘, Black Coffee delivered one of the finest songs of the album, which makes you close your eyes and completely shut the world out.
The voyage to #Subconsciously was long, but so rewarding…this moment for me is surreal and I'm so proud to present you the story I've laid out over the last few years along with some of the most incredible collaborators from around the globe. pic.twitter.com/pSvaXLWqgY
— Black Coffee (@RealBlackCoffee) February 5, 2021
Besides picking the best-fitting vocalists for the album, Black Coffee recruited global superstars as well. R&B singer and songwriter Usher links up on the groovy, dancefloor-ready track ‘LaLaLa’ originally released in 2019, while iconic music giant Pharrell Williams contributes to the laidback pop energy of ‘10 Missed Calls’, with vocals from fellow Grammy winner Jozzy. One of the most interesting collaborations on the album is ‘Drive‘, featuring French megastar David Guetta and songstress Delilah Montagu on a melodic, emotional deep house track, perfect to play in the background while being on the road.The project closes with ‘Never Gonna Forget’, a hypnotic, guitar-driven song produced with the help of American superstar DJ and producer Diplo, while UK musician and producer Elderbrook provided his astonishing vocals.
Non-single highlights from the album include ‘I’m Fallin’, a pulsating, percussion-driven song with heavier basslines having Australian singer-songwriter Ry X on the vocals. American popstar and R&B singer-songwriter Cassie sings on a delightful, synth-oriented track called ‘Time’, while fellow South African artists, 24-year old singer Una Rams and self-taught musician Tellaman give you “too much flava” on their vibrating, dancefloor-ready collaboration, being true to the title of the song.
Born Nkosinathi Innocent Maphumulo, the world-renowned producer stated the following during an interview with The Recording Academy:
“When jumping into this new project, I wanted to remind the world that we’re not confined by genres. As an artist, that’s a value I hold very close to me. I create music that I can connect with, that provokes a certain emotion. That’s what music should do, it should divide barriers and unite us under this one universal language—and that’s exactly what I wanted to do with Subconsciously. My artistic touch will always be defined by my music, but I want to break barriers and convey a global message, not just on dancefloors. This album goes way beyond.”
‘Subconsciously’ is a career-defining body of work, marking Black Coffee’s more than 25 year-long career, with his finessed sound which exceeds the genre of house he has been known for, while staying true to his South African roots.
Let Black Coffee mesmerize you with his star-studded album ‘Subconsciously’!
Image Credit: Black Coffee (via Facebook)
