The intensity of the message reverberates with extraordinary sincerity in Young Swain’s release, Blessingz. The record is not one you come across as often, if ever. It brings together the songwriting skills and outstanding voices of the incredible Eboni Starr and Mic Royale paired up with Young Swain’s rap elements. Blessingz is a profound song adressing God directly while developing a complex musicality comprised of beautiful harmonies on the hook and singular raps on the verses.
The song starts peculiarly raw with a lo-fi tendency in the vocal production featuring the voices of the two aforementioned singers with Young Swain going for spoken words on top. While the word “blessing” comes repeated several times by Mic Royale, Young Swain can be heard saying “Amen” and thus marking the intro of the first verse: “So I rose up this morning/ Realized it ain’t promised/ Showered up then I dropped a prayer before I got to bending these corners/ Took a left as the sunrise had peeped over the horizon/ Yesterday’s in my rearview so in the now you’ll find me.” The artist holds the atmosphere with his thick, well-spaced flow, letting each word take effect and subsequently imprinting the message in the listener’s mind almost immediately. You clearly understand this record was made to heal your soul.
The disarmingly vulnerable admission, “Blessed to have another day to get it and a piece of freedom/ I promise ’cause most of my brothers see the sunshine from the compounds of confinement”, is followed by the very personification of God-given voices: “Every day you open your eyes it’s a blessing/ Every chance you get to see another sunrise it’s a blessing.” Eboni Starr thrills with emotion, high-quality belting, and perfect vibrato. When you hear voices like hers you get what they mean when they say you either got it or you don’t. Mic Royale adds a smooth, calm, manly layer to the hook with his layered vocals in the background. Whoever came up with this vocal construct, knew what he was doing. Flawless.
Young Swain then goes to openly express his notion of belief with the same monochromatic cadence as before: “I grind hard and believe it/ Even if I can’t see it/ Preparation meets opportunity/ Luck I never had belief in/ Life’s hard it can get crucial.” The artist’s bars are elevated to a higher level by the background vocals belonging to Eboni Starr. The two musicians just proved that if done right, a collaboration can enhance everyone on the track. Independent artists, take notes! Instead of competing for the same spot, go fill the one that fits you best. Young Swain then brings some dire revelations regarding someone he knows: “I think about my godsister/ She lost her momma and her baby boy within 6 months now tell me that ain’t crucial/ But somehow she’s still standing/ Catch a whiff of that!” Woosh! Straight in the feels.
The paramount lesson you’ll leave this song with, is the following: “It ain’t about yo struggle/ It’s how you deal with ’em/ Will you fall down then give up?/ Or will u bounce back and dream bigger?” Young Swain effortlessly and in a most tranquil manner touched a matter that cuts deep. When taken in conjunction with the soft instrumental, the angelical voices, and the easy-to-follow flow, Blessingz does become a blessing on its own to listen to.
Song Credits: Felix Swain (Young Swain) – Songwriter, Artist, Producer, Sound Engineer; Mike Royal (Mic Royale) – Writer, Singer; Eboni McMillan (Eboni Starr) – Writer, Singer; Mikeal Swenson – Sound Engineer.
Make sure you add the ethereal record to your playlists on Amazon HERE, on Apple Music HERE, on Tidal HERE, and on Spotify below:
Written by Mariana Berdianu
Blue Rhymez Entertainment ©2020
Blue Rhymez Entertainment 