Bryson Tiller – True To Self Review

Well, only reviewing his debut studio album the other day, as well as Tiller promoting the album through a 3-track package as well as releasing the album cover and tracklist the other day. Due to come out next month, Tiller dropped the album in the early hours of this morning and, I’m jaw-dropped by it.

From the first couple tracks on the album, production, lyrically, how Tiller projects his contemporary R&B style and songwriting, there is a clear improvement from his previous effort ‘TRAPSOUL’. With this latest LP, ‘True To Self’, it is a running theme throughout. Young Tiller touches on his comeuppance in the game, how he went from being another person to one of the most exciting R&B acts in recent years as well as broken relationships and sexual desires.

From the beginning of the album, his songwriting and choice of beats is an improvement from his previous album. Each beat sounds like it was made with the intention of Tiller’s monotone, syrupy vocals and each track is as catchy and gripping as the last and the one before. While no song is dull, the first song that catches my ear is “Don’t Get Too High”.

Over a glitchy melodic piano, chopped and screwed vocals and Trap drums, Tiller describes a relationship with a girl who has her own vices, “drink and smoke too much” and saying that she doesn’t need all that when she has him. However, this directly contradicts “We Both Know”, which shows Tiller reminiscing a past relationship of a girl who only wanted him to himself, knowing the temptation of tour life.

While a lot of the album focuses on past/present relationships, Tiller also shows-off his skills incorporating rap into his style. The best example of this on the album is the progressive sound and themes Tiller brags about on “Self-Made” gloating of his “Gucci”, “purple smoke” and being a “seven-figure self-made nigga”. Other songs that standout for Tiller’s rap abilities is the 5-minute “Money Problems / Benz Truck” which could’ve easily seen someone like TY$ or Juicy J on the first half. Still, tracks like the Dancehall “Run Me Dry” and motivating “High Stakes” are also great tracks on the album.

Alike to ‘TRAPSOUL’, Tiller holds down the entire album solo. Coming off strong acclaim and praise from critics and fans, this album proves too them that Tiller can only get better and keep providing fans with dense, dark and gloomy melodic R&B/Trap.