When the world feels heavy, Chase Shakur’s debut album, Wonderlove, is here to ease the burden.
The opening track, “Introduction,” is a heartfelt and spiritually infused poem Shakur wrote that establishes the album’s tone. “May God let us pour into each other,” a woman narrates over delicate piano keys before continuing, “Let my love be a shelter, somewhere safe for just the two of us.”
Wonderlove, released Feb. 7 via Def Jam, arrives three years after the Atlanta native emerged with his debut EP, It’ll Be Fine. The independently released project, home to moody tracks like “Honda Civic ‘98” and “Too Far Close,” was welcomed with full embrace from alt-R&B enthusiasts.
After inking a deal with Def Jam, Shakur returned with his EP It’s Not You, It’s Me (2023), a continuation of the story told on It’ll Be Fine, where he navigates life after breakup with contemplative tracks like “Sink or Swim.”
Shakur’s Wonderlove sees him in a light, embracing the sweet and tender side of love. “I wanted to write something that was the opposite of what we were talking about at the time,” Shakur tells Rated R&B over a video call. “A lot of times, we talk about toxic relationships. I wanted to play with the idea of doing the opposite of that. It doesn’t have to be always so intense.”
Across 16 sprawling tracks, Shakur peregrinates through love’s euphoria, fueled by a mix of genres — R&B, jazz, hip-hop, dancehall — to keep the journey thrilling. On the early single “Limerence,” Shakur is ready to put his heart on the line for a love interest. “Trying to give my love to you,” he croons over a muffled sample of Jodeci’s “My Heart Belongs To You.”
The spirit of ‘90s R&B is felt throughout the album with nostalgic samples, ranging from Kut Klose’s “Surrender” on the pillowy “Want U” to Mary J. Blige’s “Share My World” on the trunk-rattling “Luv in Da 6” with Smino. He even takes a trip to the late ‘70s, incorporating the late Bobby Caldwell’s soul classic “My Flame” in the nocturnal groove “Say That You Will.”
Songs like “Undercover Angel” and “Face It” give the album a dose of energy with their uptempo production styles. The former gyrates to booming Miami bass, while the latter struts to the pulse of house music.
Wonderlove isn’t total bliss. He pleads for another chance on the jazzy “Mhmm” with RIMON and bares his soul on the heart-wrenching “Can’t Block Da Sun.” Closing out with “A Song For Her,” the deeply personal piano ballad is a love letter to a special someone. “It’s more of an appreciation for somebody,” Shakur explains. “I’m bad at communicating, so I communicate through my music. That was my way of doing that.”
In Rated R&B’s interview with Chase Shakur, the rapper-turned-singer discusses his musical journey, being more intentional as an artist, and decodes the meaning behind a few tracks from Wonderlove.
Take us back to your musical upbringing. What was the moment when you knew you wanted to pursue a career in music?
As a kid, there was a lot of gospel and blues in the house. The men in my family — I had two uncles and my cousins — played rappers from around the neighborhood. Seeing and following behind them, I was interested in that type of music as a preteen. When I turned 16, I was like, “Let me give it a shot.” I started rapping and did ciphers. There was this thing called Soul Food Cypher. They would have them every Sunday. I’d practice my raps every week. That’s where I started my fascination for music.
You eventually transitioned from rapping to singing. Did your foundation in freestyling influence the way you write songs? How do you balance lyrical instinct with intent?
So, my last two projects it was a lot of free thinking. I was going to the mic and saying whatever I felt at the moment. With this one, I kind of did both. I went back on a lot of songs, which I didn’t really do in the past, making sure every line goes in with each other.
You released your first EP, It’ll Be Fine, in 2022. Now, you’re here with your debut album. Who is Chase Shakur now versus then?
I’m more intentional with what I’m doing. I understand more. When I made It’ll Be Fine, I was just trying to make the best nine songs I could possibly think of and see what would happen. Now, I want to show that I’m an exceptional artist.
What’s the meaning behind your debut album, Wonderlove?
I wanted to write something that was the opposite of what we were talking about at the time. A lot of times, we talk about toxic relationships and all this other s—t. I wanted to play with the idea of doing the opposite of that and showing how I can make love not so real. It doesn’t have to be always so intense. The world doesn’t have to be real. It can be whatever you want it to be. I wanted to show that sonically.
The spoken word intro track really helps set the mood for the album. It’s like a spiritual poem. What inspired you to lead with that?
My boy Elijah [Fox]. I was listening to his EP, and it was his song. I wrote this poem a while back, and I thought it would fit on top. It wasn’t intentionally supposed to be on the album. It was supposed to be for the trailer, but that s—t just matched it.
“Limerence,” the album’s lead single, has a nostalgic house party energy to it. What was your intention when making that song?
I was aiming to go for a new jack swing, ‘90s house party [sound], but not in a generic way. I got off the road with The Kid Laroi, and I was in the studio with Go Grizzly. We got a couple of songs like that, but he played me that, and I was like, “This sounds like some s—t you could skate to.” We are from Atlanta, so I’m like, “Let me do my one-two on it.” That’s my favorite.
You experiment with a range of sounds and tempos on this album. What did you want to accomplish with Wonderlove sonically?
We were living in LA for a couple of months. At the end of the trip, we had all these songs [with] different vibes, but they all told a story. They all told sections of love — the butterfly stage, the heartbreak stage [and] the intense stage. We wanted to see how we could condense that in story form. I wanted to tell it sonically in a way you could feel, so there are intimate moments and insecure moments. It all glued together at the end when we arranged it.
As an artist, how do you keep evolving and creating new music without feeling pressured to replicate past work or neglect the fans who fell in love with your earlier songs?
I think it’s just knowing yourself and knowing your sound. The last two projects are my ways of working out and figuring out my sound, and those are good things. You can’t really recreate bodies of work. You can only evolve. All I can do is put out the best thing I can put out. I got to be a hundred percent at all times and authentic to what I like and try some new shit at the same time.
What’s the most personal song on Wonderlove?
“A Song For Her.”
Can you speak more about it?
Yeah, it’s a ballad joint I did with my boy Elijah [Fox]. It was more of an appreciation for somebody. I’m bad at communicating, so I communicate through my music. I guess that was my way of doing that.
Which song on the album would you say you spent the most time working on?
Everything kind of came pretty naturally. I want to say I went back and revised a lot of it. “Say That You Will” was probably the most time I spent on the song. It was a lot of different sections I was trying to do for a hook.
“Luv in Da 6” with Smino samples Mary J. Blige’s “Share My World.” How did that song come about?
That was just off some random night. My boy Dan [Barrett] made the beat. I had the sample. It’s my mom’s favorite Mary J. Blige song. Shoutout to Smino. I got that text and was like, “He slid on that s—t.” I wanted to get back into the routine of having fun with music. I feel like now we focus too much on what’s going to get us there instead of what matters. Music is supposed to be a fun way to express yourself and be vulnerable at the same time. I wanted to remind myself of that with these songs.
You also teamed up with TyFontaine on “Fairytales in Midtown.” How did that collaboration come about?
That’s my n—a on the road. When I was on the road with The Kid Laroi, that’s all I played. I had to hit him up, and I was like, “Yo, bro, you all I listened to.” I sent him the song, and he sent it back a day later. That’s my other favorite song.
What do you like about it?
It’s just real Atlanta, you know what I’m saying? From the title to what I’m talking about, I think my city relates to that song a lot.
“Sex N Sade” is another standout on the album. What was your mindset with that song?
I was listening to a lot of different music at the time, and I wanted to have a different feel with this album. I wanted each song to be its own thing. You can grab from what I’m saying or experience, so a lot of that was me figuring out arrangements and just learning. I learned a lot of jazz s—t and wanted to blend that in I love jazz.
Last year, you dropped The Stunt-Man Pack with two tracks, “Yolanda” and “Options.” Were those songs intended for Wonderlove?
No, those weren’t supposed to be on there. Those were a base of where I wanted the sound to go, but The Stunt-Man Pack is something that’s going to be [released] after every album.
What did you take away from making Wonderlove, and what do you want listeners to take away?
I took away that it’s OK to be vulnerable. You can do that sonically. You can make a world through your art, tell a story, and be intentional. For the listeners, I want people to really take away [to] be present in your love, be present with people you love, don’t focus on the negatives, and learn to work through things.
Stream Chase Shakur’s debut album, Wonderlove, here.
