Progressive R&B singer-songwriter Leven Kali has unleashed his new EP LK99: The Prelude via Def Jam Recordings.
The six-track project, released June 27, is an eclectic mix of R&B, rock, soul, funk and psychedelic.
The opening track, “Blackrock,” is a spellbinding trip of euphoria that deserves to be played in a packed stadium. Sonically, it sets the tone for the rest of the project with its otherworldly production. Lyrically, “Blackrock” toggles between surrendering to love and existing within a system built on control and illusion.
“Baby, take the wheel, I’m tweaking / The CIA already got your mind / Now when you open your eyes, all you see is / AI It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a face, it’s a lie,” Kali sings.
On “In The End,” Kali offers his heart as a refuge to a love interest caught in chaos: “In the end / Come over, I’ll hold you / You need a break from all those lies / He told you and sold you.”
The EP also includes the previously shared grooves “Are U Still,” “Crystal Ball,” “Pieces” and “Sleepwalking.” If LK99: The Prelude is any sign, then Kali’s next album could be his long-overdue breakout moment.
LK99: The Prelude follows Kali’s 2022 EP, Let It Rain. Aside from his own music, the talented artist contributed to Beyoncé’s latest albums, Renaissance and Cowboy Carter. On the former, he contributed to “Alien Superstar,” “Plastic Off The Sofa,” “Virgo’s Groove” and “Summer Renaissance,” while he co-wrote “Bodyguard” from Cowboy Carter.
Stream Leven Kali’s LK99: The Prelude below.
