By Jacob Onken, Contributing Writer
Alternative R&B artist Steve Lacy came out with his newest album Gemini Rights in July of this year, but it’s still a staple in many listeners’ playlists. Gemini Rights deals with the duality of his personality and includes some of the biggest hits from last summer.
Part of the reason this album became so popular is because of the social media app TikTok. Users of the app would implement Lacy’s songs in their videos, and the catchy lyrics and beats just took off.
However, just because some of the songs got popular from TikTok doesn’t mean that Gemini Rights can’t stand up on its own in the music industry and on R&B charts. The album has huge hits on it like “Bad Habits” and “Mercury.” The album also has a wonderful deep cut in “Give You the World.”
“Bad Habits” is easily the most popular song that Lacy has ever released. It goes through multiple progressions and has the stickiest hook on the whole album. The repetition of the lyrics “I wish I knew you wanted me” and “I bite my tongue it’s a bad habit” will get stuck in any listener’s ears.
The song starts off with Lacy’s voice sounding raspy before the beat drops in. Drums kick in and are backed up by some subtle synths. The beat also includes a guitar with a little reverb on it and a horn. It’s easily the most identifiable song on the album and continues to be a huge hit even in October.
Moreover, the song “Mercury” has a completely different vibe than the playful “Bad Habits.” The track has a Hispanic flair to it and includes cowbells, tambourines, and another acoustic guitar. It also deals with some mental health issues that Lacy’s gone through. This is shown with lyrics like “Oh I know myself my sins. Dug my pit then I fell in” and “Don’t regret the boys I chose but do regret the mess I made.”
The song goes through a lull in the middle where the autotune on Lacy’s voice doesn’t quite match the vibe, but other than that the song is almost perfect. It is just as easy to dance to this song as any of the others on the album.
“Give You the World” is the closing track on Gemini Rights. The way that Lacy sings in this song sounds like it could have been inspired by Smokey Robinson, a famous soul, and R&B singer. The beat is a lot simpler and has a relatively slow bass line that strums through the whole song. It has a synth that twinkles in and out of the track. Although the lyrics talk about the aftermath of a breakup, they aren’t angry, they’re more bittersweet.
In Lacy’s young career, this is his best album yet. He ties the two faces of a Gemini to the two sides of his personality. He both wants love in a relationship and doesn’t want to commit at the same time, something that is relatable to many.
Lacy showed off his production skills and his songwriting ability with this album, which is incredible for such a young and rising artist. If Lacy keeps improving, he will continue to become one of the biggest players in the alternative R&B realm.
