KAYTRANADA, Lover/Friend | Song Review

Grammy-winning DJ/producer KAYTRANADA taps singer Rochelle Jordan for the fabulous single, “Lover/Friend.”

“Heard you wanna be my lover / Wanna be more than friends / Heard you wanna be my lover / And you can’t pretend.” Ooh-wee! First and foremost, Canadian DJ/producer KAYTRANADA (Louis Kevin Celestin) is the cat’s meow – an entire V-I-B-E.  The Grammy winner delivers another bop with “Lover/Friend”, enlisting the services of Rochelle Jordan on vocals.  Celestin and Jordan penned “Lover/Friend” alongside Rush Davis.  Celestin, unsurprisingly, handles the work behind the boards on his own. 

As has been his track record, KAYTRANADA brings the heat.  The groove is EVERYTHING on “Lover/Friend.” Truly percussive, the flavor is electrifying.  Of course, it takes more than a lit groove to make the record a bop. The backdrop is lush and warm, while the sound palette is decadent – rich and sweet to the nth degree.  Beyond the instrumental treasures, Rochelle Jordan proves to be a vocal treasure.  The breathiness of her sound is appealing to the ears and incredibly sexy. Her upper register is sweet too. The melodies are tuneful, giving Jordan ample fuel for her fire. The lyrics are none too shabby, as the memorable chorus confirms.  Even beyond the chorus, the likes of “No defenses, satisfaction / Stopped your heart, just to get a reaction” put a smile on your face. Ultimately, my man KAYTRANADA is the stuff – a star, a star, a star! Once again, the DJ/music producers puts his foot – actually, both feet – into a song. “Lover/Friend”, hence, is nothing short of a vibe.

KAYTRANADA • Lover/Friend – EP • KAYTRANADA / RCA • 11.30.23

[: Brent Faulkner/The Musical Hype; KAYTRANADA / RCA; OpenClipart-Vectors, PIRO via Pixabay]