ALBUM REVIEW: Reo Cragun Shines In New EP, ‘BEAM ME UP’
ALBUM REVIEW: Reo Cragun Shines In New EP, ‘BEAM ME UP’
The EP is a must-listen for the tail-end of 2020
Words By: Jason Russo
Producer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and rising alt-R&B sensation Reo Cragun has released his latest EP, Beam Me Up off D2 Entertainment and BMG. The EP tackles some of the darkest moments of 2020 through a carefully constructed blend of hip-hop, R&B, pop, and electronic production that together create Cragun’s truly unique sound. Beam Me Up is an expansive collection of tracks that tackle themes of drug use, escapism, and anxiety combined with vibrant and luxurious production.
“Up” is a boastfully explosive opening track where Reo Cragun celebrates his successes as a musician while reflecting on his humble roots. “Used to push the Honda across the bridge, trunk was full of piece/Never thought I’d makе it out that b***h, now I’m overseas,” Cragun raps. His boasts never come across as headstrong or cocky – instead, they are genuine displays of gratitude for his success and empowering bursts of inspiration. One of the most interesting lyrics of the track —“This s**t wasn’t supposed to make the tape cause it was just for me” — shows how personal Cragun’s music is to him, and how meticulously crafted each track is. It shows that he makes his music primarily as a means of artistic self-expression, and the lyrics shows how intimate this EP truly is.
Cragun’s lyricism throughout Beam Me Up intimately reflects themes of lack of control and addiction that are dark approaches to the difficulties of quarantine. Cragun channels these themes through an out-of-this-world design. The cover art for the EP is both startling bright and pitch black, displaying Cragun like a star in the center of the EP’s universe. The visualizers for “Beam Me Up” and “All The Way” capture this same sort of person-centric interstellar concept with silhouettes of figures revolving around neon lunar landscapes that feel both eerie and intimate.
There’s something almost disturbing in the production of the title track that is reflective of the stressors of 2020. “So, if Elon’ goin’ to Mars well then beam me up,” Cragun sings on “Beam Me Up” as he offers an escape both lyrically and sonically from the project, like he would rather be beamed to Mars than suffer through the problems left on Earth. That is certainly a relatable desire for many of us who have been suffering through 2020 and the difficulties of quarantine steamrolling ahead. The production on the final chorus of the track allows the song to ascend into the atmosphere with cinematic synthesizers and distorted vocal filters that will send shivers down your spine.
Of his sound, Cragun said: “The only thing I can do is tell my story and hope people can relate to it in some way. When fans tell me, ‘It’s like this song was written for me, it really helps me,’ that’s the shit I live for. At the end of the day, I want my listeners to sit in the driver’s seat of this world I create for them. If I can do that, where they can live in that world, that’s when I know I’ve written an amazing song. That’s so powerful.”
Both remix tracks, “Grown Men Don’t Cry (feat. CHAII)” and “Cuss You Out (feat. Ayo & Teo, Jumpa, and PRESS START)” are interestingly both higher in the track listings than their originals. This is an unusual choice, but is one that allows the exciting features on each remix to add even more intensity to both tracks as well as powerful verses from each feature. While “Cuss You Out” will have you channeling all your anger through the speakers, “Grown Men Don’t Cry” displays a different kind of anger against the toxic masculinity present in our society. Cragun and CHAII lament the “tough guy” persona that men, especially men in R&B and hip-hop music, are forced to purport while simultaneously burying their real emotions. This is a powerful message to send that few in the industry have really set out to tackle.
Reo Cragun has quickly risen to become one of the most successfully genre-defying artists to date with over 50 million Spotify streams across his various music projects. He has worked with industry giants like Flume on their joint EP, Quits and their single “Friends.” He has opened for Billie Eilish on her “Where’s My Mind” tour, and has been lauded by critics worldwide. Fans of Juice WRLD, Kid Cudi, and Frank Ocean will instantly enjoy the production style of this EP while also appreciating the depth and seriousness of the themes on Beam Me Up.
