Delving into Destin Conrad’s debut album LOVE ON DIGITAL

Although the songs vary in style and tempo, the overall album has a notable thematic and sonic coherence. All of the songs mesh well with one another and the album’s aesthetic. They also flow well into each other with seamless transitions. The songs feel reminiscent of the old school R&B and hip hop sound that played around with techno beats and futurism while also including a contemporary, hype club beats energy. It is evident that Destin Conrad likes to play around with sound throughout the album. This includes using different sound effects like voice distortion. This works really well on some songs like “FMU!” for example. However, there were a few songs like “JUMPIN’” where the use of voice distortion hurt rather than helped the song’s appeal. Also, there were some songs or segments of songs that were clearly heavily autotuned and this is not always my favorite. Sometimes it did not impact the song’s execution but other times the autotune was just a bit too much for my liking.

Prior to releasing the entire album, Destin Conrad released two lead-up singles to build anticipation. The first song, “THE LAST TIME” features alternative rap artist Teezo Touchdown. I did not listen to this song when it first came out since I do not listen to Teezo Touchdown. Yet, I was pleasantly surprised by the song and it's chill, soft vibes. I thought Teezo Touchdown would provide a rap verse but he actually acts as a vocalist alongside Destin Conrad. They even share in harmonies that add to the depth and emotion of the song. I listened to the other single, “KISSING IN PUBLIC” when it debuted and I was a fan! It is the opening track to the album and one of my favorite songs off the entire piece of work. The beat is reminiscent of the sound of 90s and 2000s era Neptunes production. It has an infectious beat and catchy chorus with solid vocals that work together to create an incredible song.

One thing I really admired about the album is how Destin Conrad intentionally created space for fellow queer artists by featuring primarily LGBTQ+ identifying collaborators. “SOFT SIDE” is the third track on the album and features R&B singer-songwriter serpentwithfeet. I am only a bit familiar with his music but their voices complement one another. The overall song is short and soft. Following this track, Destin Conrad teams up with his longtime friend and fellow R&B singer Kehlani for “BAD BITCHES.” I gasped when I saw Kehlani’s name on the album’s tracklist. That said, I’m not surprised, he appeared on her most recent project and has contributed as a writer on her previous work. This is probably my favorite song off of the entire album. It is a mix of slower, softer vibes with an upbeat tempo bringing variety in both its sound and function. I could vibe to this while I am chilling or I could hear it at the club and dance to it. I was surprised to see a collaboration track with Lil Nas X. The thirteenth track, “P.B.S.” which is an acronym for “Pretty Boy Shit” features the “Old Town Road” singer. I actually liked this song a lot more than I was expecting to. It has a catchy chorus and a driving beat. There is also a lot of chemistry between the artists, evident in the flirtatious lyrics that complements the collaboration.

Top Tracks: KISSING IN PUBLIC, BAD BITCHES, FMU!, MR. E, and P.B.S.