Bryson Tiller, Inhale | Track Review 🎵

Following a three-year hiatus, ‘trap soul’ standout Bryson Tiller returns with “Inhale,” a comeback single with good intentions that slightly underwhelms.

After blowing up with his album, TRAPSOUL, Bryson Tiller seemed to be ‘on top of the world.’ His sophomore album, True to Self, unsurprisingly debuted at no. 1 on the Billboard 200.  The problem was, beyond a solid start commercially, that the album didn’t end up being the blockbuster it should’ve been.  Furthermore, the quality of the album was meh – okay, but not game changing.  After a break, Tiller is hoping to reignite the flame with his forthcoming album, led by the comeback single, “Inhale.” Does “Inhale” get Tiller ‘on the good foot?’

Notably, “Inhale” pays tribute to the iconic 1990s film, Waiting to Exhale.  Two songs that appeared on the soundtrack of the film – Mary J. Blige (“Not Gon’ Cry”) and SWV (“All Night Long”) – are both sampled.  Very interesting! The SWV sample is quite prominent from the onset, which is equally positive and negative in my eyes.  The intro is a combination of SWV sample and Brent Faiyaz (spoken word).  So, where’s Bryson?

Bryson Tiller doesn’t enter into the mix until 1:10 into this 2:54 song.  That means there’s heavy reliance on the sample, hence why I personally am mixed.  Nonetheless, Tiller eventually performs one verse with more hip-hop leanings compared to R&B.  He has some noteworthy moments, including:

“Yes, I spent all these fuckin’ years dwellin’
Yes, I feel irrelevant
And in this room, it’s you, me and this elephant.”

That particular quote references his hiatus and of course now, he’s back, trying to carve his niche you might say.  Of course, he also dabbles in matters of the heart:

“Yes, of course, I kept this bedroom nice and warm for you
Yes, I calm every single storm for you, my baby.”

The outro is performed by Brent Faiyaz and a further pitched down, slowed down sample.

Final Thoughts

To answer the question, does “Inhale” get Tiller ‘on the good foot?’ I’d say, not quite or not yet, personally.  While I’m glad to hear Bryson, who is from my home state and current city of residence, back in the game, I’m a bit underwhelmed.  Mainly it’s because “Inhale” doesn’t feel like a fully developed song.  There’s a lot of sample and not enough Bryson, particularly given his hiatus. Regardless, I’m curious to see else he has up his sleeves.

Bryson Tiller • “Inhale” • RCA • Release: 9.3.20

Photo Credit: RCA