Pulsating trap and brooding R&b form the backdrop of Brandeus’ incisive new single Sugar Rain ft. K-Si Yang.
Brandeus has reflected on topics of fame and betrayal on Sugar Rain, a brooding trap cut that serves as the Gold Coast musician’s latest single.
The track, which features American rapper K-Si Yang, sees Brandeus deliver acrobatic bars atop punchy 808 beats and pulsating snares.
Sugar Rain opens with whirring synths and echoey vocals, before introducing seductive R&b production to provide a simmering backdrop for Brandeus’ rapid-fire cadence.
Recalling the hip-hop stylings of The Kid Laori, Sugar Rain pairs its slick verses with Brandeus’ clear ear for pop melodies.
Here, the musician switches seamlessly between whispery harmonies and rap-like delivery, allowing the single to transcend genre lines and veer into poppier territories.
While there’s ample room for Brandeus to showcase his vocal chops — which at times dissipates into the production with airy finesse — Sugar Rain is equally concerned with the surrounding production.
Trap beats can at times run the risk of mundanity, but the sound is used masterfully on Sugar Rain, with enough textural flairs to maintain an engaging listen throughout the brisk runtime.
Sultry and consistently hard-hitting, the subtle hi-hats and synthesised drums provide space for Brandeus’ rhythmic delivery.
Like the great hip-hop artists before him, the rap side of Brandeus’ sound gets its deserved spotlight on Sugar Rain’s verses.
Here, the musician muses on issues of substance abuse and heartbreak, all while questioning people’s motives and ridding himself of liars.
It’s the kind of vulnerable and candid lyricism that only true wordsmiths can muster, and Brandeus pulls it off with the ease of a rapper many years his senior.
Later, K-Si Yang slides into frame with a hazy vocal timbre and distinct cadence, providing a welcome change of pace before that earworm of a hook returns (you’ll be humming those infectious melodies and the “numb the pain” refrain for days).
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While it is undeniably polished and radio-ready, Sugar Rain manages to retain a bedroom feel reminiscent of the mumble rap greats of the 2010s, with Brandeus sitting firmly among peers like Juice Wrld, Post Malone and Russ.
Such mastery of sound is perhaps to be expected from Brandeus, whose breakout singles War and Sinner boast ten million streams between them.
Listen to Brandeus’ new single Sugar Rain (ft. K-Si Yang) below.
