Today's Song of the Day, as chosen by Kevin Cole, host of Drive Time on KEXP, is "I'm Out (feat. Signe Baburin)" by Bryson The Alien, a 2022 single on PNKSLM.
Portland-based rapper/producer Bryson the Alien is about to break out in a big way with his forthcoming record The Great Adventures of Bryson the Alien. His debut with lauded Stockholm label PNKSLM is due out September 16th and sees the prolific artist and member of the SUMALIENZ and Unexplained Aerial Phenomenon (UAP) collectives utilize a long list of genres for one-of-a-kind sounds and textures.
Our Song of the Day, “I’m Out,” is evidence of this perfectly constructed genre smash. Sunny indie pop and Motown soul come together for a light and bouncy summer jam, while Bryson and his teenage Swedish collaborator Signe Barburin tell a darker tale of coming out of a dysfunctional relationship. Barburin’s melodic, almost childlike coos blend with Bryson’s soft and laid-back, near-whispered baritone rhymes in unexpected harmony. It’s a song whose elements don’t feel like they should work together, but somehow they absolutely do.
