#ikuyo

Bocchi the Rock - Official Illustration art 3/3

KYLE - Light of Mine Review

By Nathan Orenstein 

Release Date - May 18, 2018

Genres - Rap, Pop, Trap

Although his first commercial mixtape was released in 2013, California-based rapper/singer KYLE didn’t make it big until 2017. His single “iSpy” with Lil Yachty peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, catapulting him into the spotlight. He was consequently picked to be a member of the 2017 XXL Freshman class, where he delivered possibly the best freestyle and best cypher of the group. A year later, we’re finally presented with KYLE’s debut album, Light of Mine, and although it’s far from perfect, it’s still a promising debut from a talented new artist.

Light of Mine is a surprisingly mature album for an artist who is just now beginning to experience fame. KYLE doesn’t leave any stone unturned when it comes to his emotions, and his openness about his feelings gives the album its own beating heart. Opening track “Ups & Downs” addresses his newfound fame, and how it’s taken a toll on his mental health. “iMissMe” sees KYLE trying to find his past self, while “OpenDoors” sees KYLE openly acknowledging how bad of a boyfriend he’s been recently. However, every song on this album is filled with a sense hope that actually feels genuine and uplifting. Lil Yachty plays KYLE’s conscious throughout the album, and he appears in short skits across the album to remind KYLE to be positive. This is a bit much, and almost forces the positivity angle of the album, but luckily it doesn’t take away from the actual content of the songs. The penultimate song, “Clouds”, is incredibly emotional and solemn, but KYLE is able to reflect on his flaws and realize that everything will be alright. The song perfectly sums up the theme of positivity that holds the album together, and it would be the perfect choice for the album’s closer. Disappointedly, “iSpy” seems to have been merely tacked on at the end to promote album sales and name recognition. It would have made sense anywhere else on the album, but sticking it on the end just feels completely out of place. Despite the album’s final moments, Light of Mine has a very solid flow from beginning to end, and the song topics bleed into each other nicely. KYLE’s overall openness with his emotions makes Light of Mine much deeper and emotional than most hip hop albums, and this allows for the theme of positivity to feel even more genuine across the album.

Sonically, Light of Mine completely embraces the 80’s-esque production that KYLE has been messing with his entire career. “Ups & Downs” opens the album with a uniquely minimal beat, made up mostly a ‘ooo’s that are heavily drenched in autotune. The highlight of the track, though, are the guitar arpeggios that come in during the chorus, bringing another layer of 80’s flair that makes the song sound incredibly smooth. “iMissMe” has a disco-esque synthline that makes the song glow, while “Rodeo” has a piano base that is driven by a thick bassline to create possibly the grooviest track on the album. As KYLE has done on his previous projects, he’s included a track that uses typical video game sound samples as the base of the production. “Games” even carries the video game sound into the lyrics, as the chorus relates his life to a video game, in a way that isn’t actually cheesy. The entire album’s soundscape isn’t completely 80’s-esque though. “To The Moon” sounds very modern with its trap leaning percussion and synthesized bass. “iSpy” also contains trap elements, but the most prevalent sound on the song is the very tropical piano that repeats throughout the song. “Playinwitme” is similar in the way that it uses a piano to drive the production, although there are random bits of acoustic guitar that feel very out of place on the album, and even the song. Light of Mine has a style that isn’t entirely original, but it uses its influences to their maximum potential. KYLE and the wide array of producers on the album shape the 80’s sound of the album into something that is very much unique to KYLE, and this sounds good overall.

Light of Mine isn’t without its flaws, despite the glowing praise I’ve given it. The positive nature of “Zoom” feels pretty forced, but the great beat saves it from falling too low. “To The Moon” doesn’t fare as well, as it’s positivity also feels forced, but its production is an absolute trainwreck from start to finish. “Open Doors” drags on far too long, and the chorus is repeated a whopping four times. “It’s Yours” also drags, but for an entirely different reason. The track provides an account of when KYLE lost his virginity, but it’s followed by a 2 minute speech, thanking everyone that helped him achieve this feat. It’s supposed to be funny, but the skit sounds awkward and out of place on an album that’s been pretty candid about its emotions. Other songs have minor technical problems that don’t detract too much from the experience, but they are noticeable. For example, on the excellent track “Ikuyo”, there are adlibs after every single line in the first verse, and it sounds ridiculous and completely unnecessary. Another great track, “Babies”, which is a duet between KYLE and fellow rising star Alessia Cara, has an unchanging synthesized bass line that makes the song seem more repetitive that it has to be. Light of Mine’s errors aren’t terribly grievous, but there are enough of them to make them noticeable.

Overall, Light of Mine is a solid debut for KYLE. His rapping, singing, and production are all improved from his previous mixtapes, making the album stand above them handily. KYLE’s deeply personal songwriting gives the album a depth that isn’t always common in hip hop. Combining KYLE’s emotional lyrics with the 80’s influenced production, Light of Mine is an album that is uniquely ‘KYLE’. The album suffers from some filler tracks, some awkward production, and some minor technical flaws, but it’s overall an enjoyable listen for anyone who enjoys pop-rap.

My Final Score: 6.7/10

Favorite Songs: “Ups & Downs”, “Ikuyo”, “Games”, “Babies”, “iMissMe”, “Rodeo”, “Clouds”