It’s been a long time without this brand of atmospheric R&B. A long time without the necessary sad raps. A long time without our needed dose of trap soul. But finally, Bryson Tiller has dropped his third studio album Anniversary.
It’s been over three years since his sophomore smash True To Self, and things have been kind of quiet since. Sure, we got a feature on Playboi Carti’s Die Lit standout “Fell In Luv”. Sure, we heard you on “Playing Games” with Summer Walker and “Thru The Night” with Jack Harlow. But it ain’t enough! Are we selfish? Maybe, but this Kentucky king has set a precedent. We’re just so hype to experience it again on this new project.
Are we like Rambo moving through the woods? Nah, but we really like that Bryson Tiller joint “Rambo". With one lone – but major – guest star and an unexpected Australian assist, there's plenty to talk about with Tiller's third release. Here's what caught our attention.
You might be thinking, ‘what anniversary are we celebrating?” Well, this new Bryson Tiller album dropped on the 5 year anniversary of his acclaimed debut Trapsoul. Is it a coincidence? Hell nah! This album is a testament to his growth and evolution since that project.
In the Genius series For The Record, Bryson Tiller states “I wanted to pay homage,” and you can hear that in the music. The ominous vibe of a song like “Sorrows”, the introspective raps of “Years Gone By”. It’s vintage Bryson, but with a new perspective.
It Samples Australian Musician Peter Allen
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This is random as hell right? This is something you wouldn’t expect from Bryson. Yet, here we are.
The standout Anniversary cut "Sorrows" samples Peter Allen’s 1980 cut “One Step Over The Borderline”, but in a completely unique way when compared to the New South Wales songwriter. Instead of it having the uptempo sounds of the 1980 original, it’s flipped in a way that’s atmospheric and sombre, thanks to the soundscapes of producer Gravez. Bryson uses this melancholic sample to tell a story about lost love and vulnerability, changing the tone of Allen’s vision, and serving as a testament to his versatility as an artist.
There's One Standout Feature
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Bryson Tiller doesn't really need features. He can rap, he can sing, he’s R&B’s renaissance man. But when there’s one as big as the lone appearance on Anniversary, you can’t help but feel the hype.
The 6 God himself Drake contributes to the celebration that is Anniversary on the track “Outta Time”. It’s an ear-catching ballad that finds both artists thriving in vocal contrast. The track, in R&B fashion, centers around love and romantic troubles; a topic both thrive in. And while this is definitely a bag Drake can steal, Bryson holds his own with a passionate vocal performance. The feature was actually one Bryson and this team had been sitting on before adding to the album last minute, stating to Vice “My manager Neil brought it up to me when we were listening to the new album, like 'Whatever happened to that?’"
Jay Z ain't as good without Guru unleashing the flutes, Drake is enhanced by longtime collaborator Noah ‘40’ Shebib throughout his whole discography, and Bryson is made considerably better by his production team across Anniversary. You may not recognise some of their names now, but it seems that could change very soon.
Capturing the diversity of Trapsoul on its anniversary is a difficult task for the best of beat-smiths, but without a doubt, they succeed with Bryson Tiller on this project. Creators like Teddy Walton capture the sombre soulfulness of a classic like “Exchange”. On tracks like “Always Forever”. J-Louis captures the catchy melancholic sounds of “Don’t”. On cuts like “Keep Doing What You’re Doing”. Streethunger brings the drive of “Rambo” to 2020 on the album opener “Years Go By”. Other producers like III, Graves, and NES all make their stamps known throughout the sonics of Anniversary’s story as well. Not only is this project a rebirth of Bryson’s artistry, but an introduction to the next crop of stars behind the boards.
While this album is very much a celebration of Bryson’s past success, it’s also a look into the future, with the current being a matured man.
This fact is evident on a song like “Timeless Interlude”, where he spits “That's right, we gon' be okay. You know I'm gon' do that task right, I'm gon' make mistakes.” This is a stern change from the “I know you thought we had somethin' special, but you don't mean nothin' to me,” of Trapsoul’s “Sorry Not Sorry”. And that’s what Anniversary symbolises. It pays homage to the time that brought him to this point, while showing a mindset that has developed and matured. It’s not only a humble celebration of fame and fortune, but the recognition of growth that will continue to blossom in future projects. While Bryson stans around the world can’t get enough of the Trapsoul sound, and how it inspired the Anniversary story, there’s no doubt that the gratifying part is that his soul isn’t trapped, and will continue to evolve on a major scale.
