Atlanta-based singer and rapper 6lack released his sophomore album, “East Atlanta Love Letter,” last week. The release gave fans 14 new tracks that offer a glimpse into his heart as 6lack reflects on the ups and downs of love.

“I wrote this album for those with difficulty expressing themselves or their love,” he wrote in the album’s booklet. “Communication is key and over time it’s proven to be my biggest obstacle.”

 6lack – pronounced black – is indubitably one of the biggest R&B artists in the game right now. He first gained traction after releasing his single, “PRBLMS,” back in June 2016. Five months later, he dropped his first studio album, “FREE 6LACK.”

“East Atlanta Love Letter” seems to mark the 26-year-old’s growth and maturity. Cutting his veiling dreads and becoming a father, 6lack has come out of the shadows.

He starts off his album with “Unfair” – a partially high-pitched, emotional ballad in which he expresses his unwillingness to fight with his lover as long as she matches his energy.

6lack touches on many aspects of love throughout the album. In “Let Her Go,” he finds himself contemplating letting his girl go, while “Sorry” has him reaping the emotional consequences and mistakes he has made in his relationship. But “Disconnect” is the turning point of the album, in which 6lack concludes that he cannot hold on any longer and must disconnect from his girl. “Love is not lookin’ over shoulders / love is you should trust what I told ya … I’m tryna work it out / but we got to disconnect,” he sings.

Each of these tracks — along with “Balenciaga Challenge” (feat. Offset) — includes either an intro or an outro featuring a woman conveying her perspective on the influence relationships have on her personal life. She expresses, “I’m following my dreams … I’m doing what I’m supposed to do … they (men) always gonna be there” and “y’all (men) be the first ones to talk about loyalty but be the first ones to fold on (us).”

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One of my favorites is “East Atlanta Love Letter (feat. Future).” A collaboration between 6lack and Future was one I didn’t know I needed. The delicate, slow tempo track finds the two Atlantans singing off of one another over gloomy piano undertones. The blend of 6lack’s delicacy and Future’s trapness are prominent in the line, “my words hit like a Draco,” a lyric they both say throughout the song.

Some of my other favorites include “Pretty Little Fears” (feat. J. Cole), “Seasons” (feat. Khalid) and “Stan.”

“East Atlanta Love Letter” is the soundtrack to my heart. 6lack’s moody tone paired with his honest lyrics create a relationship timeline that many can relate to. He addresses the euphoria, struggles, bliss and trials love provokes. 6lack is clearly a lover, not a fighter. His authenticity with his art does not hide his views on the importance of a feeling, a concept many are hesitant to explore.

Cydney Lee is a junior psychology major. Her music column appears biweekly in Pulp. You can email her at cmlee100@syr.edu or follow her on Twitter @cydneylee_.

Published on September 18, 2018 at 10:39 pm