In the current climate of music, it feels as though a considerable portion of new releases are designed to be marketable – to fit some sort of “mold” that will be palatable for a large base of listeners and to catch on with fairly quick succession. Frankly, while this approach may make digital marketers look good, it ruins so much of the risk that makes art worth it, which only strengthens my appreciation for those who make a hard left when everyone else goes right. Few artists today are taking this hard left as confidently as Shyon Q right now, who’s here today with an impeccable new project, Wagyu.
6 tracks in length, the project was released via Seeing Sounds –who at this point has been nothing less than brilliant. It’s a long one, but in all of the tape’s eccentricity, Wagyu is a comprehensive look inside the truly one-of-a-kind character that is Shyon Q. He’s fully committed to creating a world of his own design, and in all of its insane glory, Wagyu accomplishes this with unbelievable detail, fervor, and creativity.
To try and capture all of my thoughts around this project feels impossible, so to preface this description, the only way to understand the project is to sit down and listen on your own.
But in short, Shyon Q is colorful. He’s a rap star, he’s dramatic, he’s wildly melodic, he’s weird, he’s massively compelling, and he doesn’t seem to mind being the center of attention. Musically, among other genres, he navigates seamlessly through a mixture of pop, EDM, and trap influences, while stylistically, Wagyu decorates itself with Gangsta Grillz-Esque DJ tags, Kanye West-inspired artwork, and a high fashion, Paris-set backdrop. In every way, the tape feels like a million different worlds of art and music crashing into one another at this oddly colorful intersection, but it’s organized and committed enough to turn this melting pot of influence into its own, entirely singular thing. It’s the world of Shyon Q, and that’s just about the only way to describe it.
To summarize my thoughts, I think the “Rapstar” positioning is what best describes why this project is fantastic. Shyon Q isn’t waiting to play stadiums to consider himself a pop star. He already is one. He carries himself like one, so he is one. Shyon Q also doesn’t need to be at Paris Fashion Week in order to set his project there.
Listen to “Wagyu” On Spotify:
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