Album Review: U R NOT ALONE by AKTHESAVIOR and sagun
The world of lo-fi hip-hop welcomes its newest album: a collaboration between rapper and songwriter AKTHESAVIOR and producer sagun, U R NOT ALONE. For those not aware of this subgenre (although it has been popularized by several key YouTube livestreams since the 2010s), lo-fi hip-hop involves the fusion of hip-hop and chillout, resulting in slow-paced punchy beats centered in spacious beds of guitars, bass, synths, and sometimes piano. Of course, sagun’s production style sits relatively firmly in this genre, but with AKTHESAVIOR in the mix now lyrics flow across these serene soundscapes, which is generally uncommon in the genre. For the most part, AKTHESAVIOR’s delivery is understated but confident, making U R NOT ALONE a lowkey listen best suited for headphone listening.
Right from the intro track “Dear World,” the album establishes its lyrical theme through AKTHESAVIOR’s introspective lyrics and the set of affirmations that deal with thankfulness, self-control, and embracing your individuality. The following track “Johnnie Talkin” switches up the lo-fi hip-hop playbook a bit with a tasteful incorporation of strings into the instrumental, which underscore lyrics on working through the difficult emotions that coils arise on any given day. Later the song “Issues” features the most engaging flows on the album, while the more upbeat single “Tetsuo’s Revenge” contains a great Mike Jenkins feature. The lyrical focus of this album expands a bit on “Ashitaka’s Fate,” as AKTHESAVIOR’s lyrics deal with the stress the current state of the world inflicts upon everyone and his journey processing it.
Transitioning into the second half of the album the song “No Scars” features an instrumental that fuses lo-fi hip-hop with New York drill, and AKTHESAVIOR is sure to lower his voice a bit in true Pop Smoke (R.I.P.) fashion, however, the lyrics of this song maintain the album’s focus on overcoming struggles. Tasteful horns color the backdrop of “Mind Body Soul” featuring Jaws of Love, while the title track interlude takes out the drums to spotlight the lyrics all about being blessed and manifesting a positive future, which very much serves as a turning point on the album.
The final leg of the album continues this positive upturn as on “Humble” featuring Pink Siifu, much like the Kendrick Lamar song of the same name deals mostly in flexing. However, unlike that song, the context the album provides positions “Humble” more as proof of a positive mindset rather than an expulsion of anger. However, the following “Self Worth,” despite AKTHESAVIOR’s bold flow, feels a bit lyrically redundant, perhaps revealing the album’s primary weakness. “Enough is Enough” feels like this same formula executed a bit better, as sagun’s production underneath the A$AP Twelvyy and Erik The Architect features feels especially dynamic and nocturnal. The closer “Numb” concludes the album on a personal note, as AKTHESAVIOR’s lyrics deal in his personal experiences overcoming negative emotions, rather than working to inspire the listener.
Overall, the screen and textured production from sagun complement AKTHESAVIOR’s lyrical focus to create an album experience that, yes, is lowkey, but is bound to leave the listener with a warm feeling in their heart after its 14 tracks conclude.