Setting the tone with a luscious, glitched synth melody, Brittney Chantele opens their album Speaking With Swords with dimensionality and an invitation to Hop In The Ride. The opus expands into an immersive, contemporary hip-hop meets pop hybrid soundscape with a sonic nod to James Blake’s Life Round Here.
We appreciate the atmospheric nature of Hop In The Ride, and Brittney Chantele‘s harmonies and the poetic nuance in their lyricism. Up next is Let Me Find Out, which takes on a more playful edge that Doja Cat listeners will be able to connect with. Favorite Girl showcases Brittney Chantele‘s assertive side and exquisite flow, as they deliver an ode to their muse. We love Safiya‘s multilingual presence on the track and fierce rap verse, which adds a great energy to the already brilliant contemporary R&B track.
Trying kicks off with emotive piano and add libs, whilst Brittney sings, “You got needs, while I got needs to…”, in a more emotive manner than what we have experienced so far on the record. Let Me Know is a seductive bop where Brittney shows us that they’re a good listener and a great lover, and we appreciate this compassionate and attentive side of the artist.
Up next is Be With You, which opens with an ethereal and cerebral energy, expanding into a stripped back and emotive piece where our protagonist confesses how they want to be with their muse.
Everytime We Say Goodbye gives us the darkest energy that we have experiences on the record so far, showing a broader emotional spectrum of the rising artist from Chicago as they sing vulnerably, “how could there be pain when feelings ain’t involved…”
We then experience Leave Like That, which really starts to evolves the love to breakup pipeline narrative of the record. New High holds a more psychedelic and fresh energy touching upon themes of escapism. Next is Ass Looking Right which is moodier and sexually fierce, once again showcasing Brittney Chantele‘s badass flow. Cardi B fans will love Ass Looking Right!
The Remix of YKTV has a dark synth wave vibe and we love the juxtaposition with Brittney’s flow. The track really showcases the versatility that Brittney Chantele has already shared on the record. Jam packed with hooks!
Premeditated features a cosmic panning synth and, we appreciate the more chilled energy. Like I Don’t Love You asks, “why do I feel stuck” as Brittney enquires about what is going on in their relationship.
The penultimate track is Retro Love ,and we can imagine Kanye West fans connecting deeply with this track, it even has an 808s and Heartbreaks reference, iconic! Last but not least is the final reprise of the album, Reflection. Possibly the most emotional track on the album, accompanied by luscious guitar, the lyrics are self-realized and the most mature we have heard on the album. A fitting conclusion.
Speaking With Swords is a wonderful spotlight on queer love, sex, and breakups through an authentic and high production lens. We learn that as a biracial, non-binary, lesbian artist, Brittney Chantele is committed to creating a world where queer people and queer love aren’t just seen- but fully represented and respected.
It is no surprise that they have had their music featured on Showtime’s official The L Word playlist, and were named Pittsburgh’s Best Rap/Hip-Hop Performer. We have added three tracks from the record to our New Music Spotlight playlist, whilst we continue to stream Brittney Chantele extensive discography!