RESPONS - MAISIE
By Jay Marquez (@jaymrqz)
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The climate of hip hop today shows a lot of versatility in what was once, a rhyme and rhythm genre. With that being said, the rise of melodic hip hop has been astronomical, with rappers tapping into their melodic side to grasp the hearts of fans worldwide. Coming out of the UK, RESPONS falls swiftly into that category and he does not, fall short. Following a radio spin on BBC Radio 1, MAISIE tackles issues we see too much of in everyday life. He shines light on the use of substances in order for us to feel alive, at the same time reassuring that we are, in his words, ‘one in a million,’ in this world.
My personal take on it, is that frankly, I like the song, a lot. Production hits a note we have barely seen in this new climate of what Hip Hop is today, with the extensive use of instrumentals, it seems that there was a whole band used in the production of this song. Then we get to the vocals, with a soothing bliss attached to the way he delivers his sound, RESPONS aims to strike a chord in the hearts of the people who listen to his music. His sound reminds me of Khalid and to dive deeper into the past, a Musiq Soulchild-esque vibe.
The ending is where the song gets special, with the sudden beat drop and the change in vocal tone, RESPONS is tapping into his inner Weekend, repeating the words, ‘Maisie is one in a million,’ he etches time and time again the sole message of his song, but with a creative twist. Trust me you will find yourself tapping on your table with the beat, and repeating the words as he goes along.
All in all, I give this song a solid 8/10 in my books, everything in the song is done with finesse, and I can not wait for what RESPONS has as a follow up to this song. Be sure to stream MAISIE now on the MNRCHY playlist on Spotify.