London musician Kamal. chronicles heartache, infatuations and love on tour on new mixtape so here you are, drowning.
At a mere 20 rotations around the sun, Kamal exudes the telltale signs of an enduring prodigy, reminiscent of a youthful Justin Timberlake. With a voice as smooth as honey and a profoundness that rivals the greats, Kamal is poised to leave an indelible mark in the world of music.
Kamal. has today (March 17) released his sophomore mixtape so here you are, drowning. The ten track collection documents the difficulty of staying afloat, with candid lyrics that touch on the tensions of codependency and martyrdom within a relationship, while relenting to the feeling of drowning amongst it all.
Kamal.’s lyricism throughout so here you are, drowning, is informed by author Caleb Azumah Nelson, whose debut novel Open Water chronicles two Black British artists as they battle the waves of fear, possibilities, suffering, and intimacy. The mixtape was previewed with three singles, including 2022’s better.
That track sees Kamal sing in raw, rustic vocals atop a subtle acoustic guitar, before sporadically bursting into rap cadences on the post-chorus. “You’ve been my favourite part,” Kamal. sings nonchalantly on the hook, “it don’t get much better than this.” The joys of love are equally matched by the heartache it often brings, as seen on fellow standout track essential.
Here, Kamal. laments a half-hearted partner who strays, steals his friends, and “never had potential.” The singer pairs the more sombre vignette of a relationship with whispery tones, and blaring synths within the chorus. “I’ll be ok,” Kamal. assures himself as the bass distorts his vocals, “don’t feel no way.”
On most recent single free flow, Kamal. recalls the minor, otherwise-forgettable details of his partner, singing nostalgically of their perfume before recounting their whirlwind romance while on tour. “Used to be the cashmere sheets with the blinds down,” he sings atop guitar strums and catchy percussion. “Now we don’t get no sleep on the road.” Each of the singles was produced by J.Moon, who has elsewhere collaborated with the likes of Miley Cyrus, Louis Tomlinson and Joy Crookes, among others.
Kamal. has accompanied so here you are, drowning with a music video for seventh track white wine. Kamal.’s sweet and seductive RnB vocals accompanied by stunning visuals: Check it out below:
The mixtape serves as the 20 year old musician’s second project offering, having released his debut EP war outside in 2020. Since then, Kamal. has been nominated for the Rising Star Award at the Ivor Novello Awards, and amassed some 250 million streams. He has also collaborated with UK rapper Dave on the 2021 track Mercury, and released the standalone single nowhere to hide in 2022.
