Bryson Tiller returns to form on Anniversary

Bryson Tiller is an R&B/hip-hop singer out of Louisville, Kentucky. His new album “Anniversary” dropped last Friday on the fifth anniversary of his first studio album release “Trapsoul”. On “Anniversary” Tiller reflects on the passage of time since his rapid ascension to fame, and the project also serves as a thank you to his fans for their continued loyalty.

In 2014, while working at Papa Johns, Tiller’s single “Don’t” went viral on SoundCloud. This captured the attention of Drake and helped Tiller land a record deal with RCA. Tiller’s 2015 debut album “Trapsoul” achieved a peak of number eight on the Billboard 200 and sold upwards of 3,000,000 copies.

“Trapsoul” initially received heavy criticism from reviewers, though in the years following it has been lauded for its unique blend of Southern rap and R&B.

Leading up to the release of “Anniversary,” Tiller used billboards in Kentucky that were initially purchased to promote the album to honor Breonna Taylor. “You’ve brought the city of Louisville together like we’ve never seen before and we will never forget you” and “We love you Breonna Taylor” were the messages displayed on the billboards.

Through social media, Tiller has spoken out against police brutality and shared his own experiences with racism growing up in Louisville.

For a leading track, “Years Go By” does everything it should and more. The first voice we hear is sampled from an interview. The general message is that new artists tend to suffer from their indecisiveness, but the best thing they can do is to be themselves, and not waste time. We hear an alarm clock ring, then the track switches up into an ethereal trap-style beat.

Tiller seems to have recaptured the magic of “Trapsoul” on this track, as his voice weaves effortlessly through the drums, hi-hats and claps of the beat. The track sets the tone of the album while conveying the urgency of time, the predominant theme of the album.

Though the album starts off strong, it immediately wavers after a few weak slower tracks. “Always Forever” doesn’t stand out at all, and “I’m Ready For You” suffers from use of overwhelming vocal filters that detract from the song.

“Things Change” saves the front half of the album from complete disaster with some of the most dynamic vocals on the project.

Another highlight of the album is “Sorrows,” where Tiller croons about jealousy and the agony of a decaying relationship.

Something unique about “Anniversary” is that it includes Tiller’s first official feature. Tiller and Drake sing about a relationship that has run its course on “Outta Time.” Drake delivers a solid start to the track, though Tiller’s performance on the back end anchors it. I wouldn’t say that this is either artist’s best individual performance, though their voices complement each other in a fresh way. This track is a long time coming for the duo, considering that Drake had planned to make an appearance on “Trapsoul,” and Tiller was supposed to be featured on Drake’s 2017 album “More Life.”

“Anniversary” is at its best on the track “Keep Doing What You’re Doing,” where Tiller pays tribute to his late grandmother, who the album is dedicated to. The track starts with a voicemail from his grandmother, which is the last recording of her voice that he has. Tiller lets his guard down as he reflects on his grandmother’s message, “I love you, and no matter what, keep doing what you’re doing.” This song ties into the theme of time, showing how precious moments with loved ones can be.

It seems like this song would have tied up the album up perfectly, so it is odd to see it included as the penultimate track, followed by a relatively uninspiring track in “Next To You.” At times the production on this album feels a bit formulaic, and a handful of songs suffer from a lack of direction, especially during the first half of the thirty-minute runtime.

That being said, “Anniversary” is a substantial improvement upon Tiller’s sophomore album “True to Self,” and the theme of time works fairly well. “Anniversary” has me excited to see what Bryson Tiller’s next full-length project, currently known as “Serenity,” will look like. It is slated to come out by the end of this year. I would recommend “Anniversary” to hip-hop fans because I think it’s a great entry point to contemporary R&B. I would also suggest checking out the deluxe edition of “Trapsoul,” which released on Sept. 25th. 8/10.