rei brown, “Thinking Bout You” (Ft. Joji) | Track Review 🎵

Queer alt-pop artist rei brown taps Japanese-Australian standout Joji for his must-hear, relatable single, “Thinking Bout You.”

 

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arely made my flight, we were up all night / Now I’m thinking ‘bout you.” Oh, the feels, the feels, 🎙 rei brown! In case you are unfamiliar, let me familiarize you! Rei brown is a Japanese, queer, alt-pop artist based in New York – that was a mouthful.  In July, brown is set to release his debut album, 💿 Xeno – always exciting when there’s fresh musical blood, right? On the intriguing single at hand, 🎵 “Thinking Bout You”, brown gets an assist from another awesome, Japanese-Australian alternative pop/R&B musician, 🎙 Joji.  The results, folks, is a surefire vibe!

Brown is the first voice heard on “Thinking Bout You” as he smoothly delivers the chorus with some cool vox effects.  He sets the tone of what’s to come – a song about missing significant others.  Brown asserts, “I wrote my part mostly in the context of a long-distance relationship. There are hints in it that suggest it takes place in a different more sci-fi reality.” Cool and utterly compelling, to say the least. During his verse, we get ‘standard’ vocals from brown, contrasting the ‘spacier’ chorus, addressing the said relationship.  “It’s never easy to leave you / … You can bet that I bleed too, take me back to the shore,” he sings poetically.  Joji provides stark contrast in the second verse, vocally, while addressing distance from his own perspective:

“Made me look the other way

No longer summer days

They see it in my face

I know it’s just a graze

They got me in a maze

And I hope it’s just a phase.”

Did I mention that this song is a vibe? Contributing to the vibe, beyond rei brown and Joji is 🎛 Holz, who produces with brown.

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Final Thoughts 💭

Having been aware of Joji talents, I find myself incredibly impressed with rei brown.  🎵 “Thinking Bout You” is an awesome addition to any playlist, with a relatable theme.  Sure, brown throws ‘sci-fi’ in the mix but the big takeaway is LONG DISTANCE.  As an advanced single, it only builds anticipation for what brown serves up on 💿 Xeno (yes, short for xenophobia), an album that he describes exploring the otherness he’s felt throughout his life. It’s a shame such a talented individual like brown has had to experience such.  “Thinking Bout You” speaks volumes.

 

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🎙 rei brown • 💿 Xeno • 🏷 Jimaku Super • 🗓 7.8.22

[📷: bbyclaude, Brent Faulkner, Jimaku Super, The Musical Hype, OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]

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