For the first time in over a decade, Macklemore has delivered an album without his longtime collaborator and friend Ryan Lewis. But make no mistake, Gemini is very much a collaborative project.
Out the album’s 16 tracks, 15 are assisted by other artists, including Skylar Grey on the project’s lead single “Glorious,” Lil Yatchy on “Marmalade,” Kesha on “Good Old Days,” Offset on “Willy Wonka,” and Xperience on “Church.” The only cut Macklemore handles by himself is “Ten Million.”
Since the release of his debut solo album, The Language of My World (2005), Macklemore has seen his career skyrocket thanks in large part to his socially conscious hits like “Same Love” and “White Privilege II.” This time around, however, Macklemore says he didn’t want to deliver an album that was too politically charged.
“I think it's mostly the music that I wanted to hear. It's the music that I wanted to go get into my car and listen to. I wanted it to be fun,” he told Rolling Stone earlier this month. “A lot of people have asked me, ‘So with all this stuff going on in the world right now, you must've had a lot a to write about.’ And my answer is ‘no.’ […] I don't need to go and preach to the choir anymore. Everybody knows what's going on. […] I believe that music can be a form of resistance without having to hit the nail on the head in terms of subject matter. It can be something that uplifts, that makes you dance, that makes you cry, that makes you think.”
You can stream Gemini now on Apple Music or download it on iTunes, or check it out below via Spotify. Macklemore will hit the road next month for the album’s supporting tour, which will kick off Oct. 6 in Portland and conclude Nov. 14 in Boston. You can learn more about the Gemini Tour dates here.
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