Heavy, the latest single from Esmee’s LP Under a Still Moon, cuts right through every hip-hop cliché with a sound that defies the sonic throwaway culture we’re locked into. The vibe within Heavy is addictive; hypnotic waves of reverb pulse and oscillate through the atmosphere of the mix, lulling you into a transcendent state before the trip-hop-esque beat kicks in and Esmee locks in with bars that hold wit, precision and weight.
The meditative ease never slips, even when the rhythm deepens and the intensity creeps in. With scintillatingly soft sonic vapour around his cultivated cadence, Esmee drops mic-drop lines into an ethereal atmosphere that carries everything but heaviness. He doesn’t shy away from folding the weight he’s carrying into the mix, but instead of offloading it, he holds space for anyone who finds themselves struggling under their own emotional burdens. That self-awareness gives the track its clarity and strength. Frankly, we’re obsessed, and we can see how the world will be too.
Hailing from Houston, Esmee created Under a Still Moon as a tribute to his late grandfather, drawing from the lyric “the moon stood still” in Blueberry Hill. With long-time collaborator MXNNY producing the project, the album finds beauty in the stillness between the storms. Heavy captures the soul of the LP perfectly; it’s as reflective as it is rhythmically immersive, and as spacious as it is deeply personal.
Heavy is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.
Review by Amelia Vandergast
