Columbian R&B artist Jessie Reyez’ has just dropped her debut studio album titled Before Love Came to Kill Us and it is definitely super “Dope.” The new LP, released March 27, includes 14 tracks of raw emotion and sound that demonstrate the artist’s unique style even more than her previous work did.
Prior to the album’s launch, Reyez dropped one emotional single exclusively for this LP named, “Love in the Dark,” which didn’t really show fans what the album would be like overall. The single came along with a music video posted to YouTube, but frankly it didn’t impress as much as the album does.
She also included two additional previously released songs on the new album including “Figures,” from her 2016 EP Kiddo, and “Imported,” featuring 6LACK, a rendition of the song from her 2018 EP Being Human in Public.
Just like on past work, this album includes songs of all different tones and moods, from slow and sad, to upbeat and fun. She sets a wedding theme throughout the album as well, made clear in the video for “I Do.”
In a 2019 interview with Apple Music, Reyez’ stated, “I like to sing about shit I don’t like to talk about,” which is something all writers, myself included, can without a doubt relate to. Sometimes it’s easier to let out emotions through lyrics rather than simply speaking, and Reyez’ shows her true talent with this ability here.
After being featured on two songs from Eminem’s 2018 album Kamikaze, Reyez’ collaborated with the rapper again on the song “Coffin,” a track that the album artwork seems to allude to.
The song talks about an unhealthy relationship where one partner is willing to go as far as death if that’s what the other wants. “I’d rather a coffin / Hand made for two / ‘Cause I love you to death / Just like a fool,” she sings.
In the eighth track named “Same Side,” Reyez’ talks about another relationship where the partner’s seem to hold unequal ground.
“You’re such an a**hole, but I see a prince / And I’m a good girl, but you see a bitch / I wanna make love, you wanna burn a bridge / So I wish I was a bad guy / So we could just be fighting on the same side.”
Toxic relationships are something that many people have unfortunately been through themselves, so I think it’s good that Reyez’ is able to talk about her hard times and remind everyone going through similar experiences that they are not alone.
This album doesn’t just show Reyez’ writing strengths and exceptional way with words, it also showcases her eccentric sounds and producing styles too.
Some of my favorite tracks include “Deaf (who are you),” and “Dope,” both of which have fun sounds that make you feel empowered and want to dance around to.
Another aspect that sets Reyez apart from other artists is her incorporation of the Spanish language into some of her songs. While some tracks have just a few lines in Spanish, “La Memoria,” is fully wrote and sung in the language.
Her ability to speak both English and Spanish opens up her audience to people of different cultures and different countries, further displaying Reyez’ talent and range as a rising artist.
If this is your first time hearing the name “Jessie Reyez", this is the perfect time to indulge yourself in her music and check out the amazing new album.
I would give this album 4.5 out of 5 Swoops.
