If you haven't heard of Steve Lacy before, chances are you've listened to music he's created. At just 17 years old, Lacy joined the band The Internet as their guitarist and since then has gone on to produce songs for the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller, and J. Cole. Aside from production, Lacy's guitar and vocal skills have also landed him features on songs by artists like Tyler, the Creator, Vampire Weekend, Kali Uchis, and many more. He's one of the most musically talented and multi-faceted artists of our generation.
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Today marks the release of Lacy's sophomore album, Gemini Rights. In celebration of the album, we're breaking down our top 7 Steve Lacy hits, ranging from songs he's featured on to his own discography. If you're not already on the Steve Lacy train, now's the time to hop on board.
Dark Red
"Dark Red" was released as the leading single off of Lacy's first EP, Steve Lacy's Demo. Released back in 2017, this song and the whole album were recorded using only Lacy's iPhone and GarageBand. Lacy has been an inspiration to many young musicians who don't have access to studio equipment; in a talk he gave at TedxTeen, he said, "...I'm exploring this world of sound with this little device in my pocket and I realized that I didn't necessarily need what I thought I did. From there, I just started pressing stuff and figuring it out and just getting some really, really bad beats out at first before I found the piece called the iRig. That's when I started to combine my knowledge on what a drum beat was along with my guitar playing skills and bass." "Dark Red '' has a gripping baseline below Lacy's ominous lyrics. He sings, "Something bad is 'bout to happen to me, I don't know it, but I feel it coming, Might be so sad, might leave my nose running, I just hope she don't wanna leave me." To this day, "Dark Red" remains Lacy's most-streamed song and was certified Platinum in February of this year. Not bad for a song produced on an iPhone.
Sunflower
"Sunflower" was the second single released off of Vampire Weekend's fourth studio album, Father Of The Bride. With a funky guitar line and vocal scatting from Lacy, "Sunflower" stands out from Vampire Weekend's discography for its jazzy and soulful sound. Lacy's contribution to the song marked the first time that Vampire Weekend ever featured another artist on one of their records. On Instagram, the lead vocalist and guitarist for VW, Ezra Koenig, gave a special shoutout to Lacy, stating, "shout out to @steve.lacy! He randomly tweeted at me a few years ago saying we should collaborate. He was right! Sunflower is the first song ever released by VW with a feature and I'm glad it's Steve. He told me the first song he ever learned on guitar was A-Punk which is hilarious cuz he is now way better at guitar than me. Can't wait for you to hear his other contributions to FOTB." Lacy also contributed his guitar and vocals to "Flower Moon" on the FOTB, which has an entirely different sound and feel to it than "Sunflower." These two songs are an attestation to Lacy's remarkable and eclectic musical skills.
N Side
"N Side" is a perfect example of Lacy's ability to create sultry and addictive songs. As the first single released off of his debut album, Apollo XXI, the song has a heavy drumline and features a voicemail of Lacy lamenting, "Uh, hey baby, Um, I know I keep asking this, Um, but I guess I just really wanna know at this point, You know, we've been intimate for a while, Been crushing on each other for years, But I guess I'd just really like to know if, You feel the same way about me as I feel about you, You know all your feelings for me inside of your heart, Let me know, bye." The song's laid-back, R&B groove makes it perfect for any situation; it feels just as good when it comes on at a party as it does when you need a shoulder to cry on.
911 / Mr. Lonely
Lacy lended his vocals to Tyler, the Creator's Grammy-nominated album, Flower Boy. With the additional features of Frank Ocean and Anna of the North, "911 / Mr. Lonely" has a lighthearted beat with lyrics of yearning. Lacy longingly sings on the bridge, "Call me some time, Please bang my line." The song is a fan-favorite amongst Tyler, the Creator fans for its catchy and bouncy flow and has helped introduce Lacy to a wider fanbase. If you're still not convinced of Lacy's abilities, here's a video of him singing "911 / Mr. Lonely" live with Tyler, the Creator and Anna of the North:
Infrunami
This sensual and laid-back song is addictive at first listen. Off of Lacy's 2020 mixtape, The Lo-Fis, the song features Lacy's classic wistful lyrics over guitar strumming, with him crooning, "Girl, you're the one I want, You're the one I need, I'm beggin' you, please, Can you come back to me, 'Cause I was blind to see, That's who was right in front of me." The Lo-Fis is a collection of unreleased demos, leaks, and instrumentals that Lacy created while he was still in high school. For a song that was almost never released, "Infrunami" certainly stands out in Lacy's catalog for its mesmerizing electric guitar and overall groove.
CU Girl
This simple and sweet song features Lacy's best qualities: his ability to write catchy lyrics over a bouncy guitar line. Released in 2015, "CU GIRL" was the first of Lacy's solo work to ever hit streaming services and has since amassed over 150 million streams. At the time of its release, Lacy was still the guitarist for The Internet and was just embarking on his solo career.
Just A Stranger
"Just A Stranger" marks the second time that Lacy collaborated with the ever-glamorous Kali Uchis. Off of Uchis' 2018 album, Isolation, "Just A Stranger" yet again features a captivating chorus from Lacy, with him and Kali singing together, "She wants my hundred dollar bills, she don't want love." The song was co-produced by Lacy and BROCKHAMPTON member Romil Hemnani. In an interview with Pitchfork, Uchis said, "[Steve is] just so talented, and I'm really drawn to artists that are similar to me in the sense that they're very raw and don't necessarily have classical training or try to conform to any type of musical standards. His music is so fresh, so young. There's something so innocent about his music. Working with Steve feels like working with my friend who lives down the street from me, and we just end up making something that's amazing every time."
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Who is Steve Lacy? Here's 7 songs to introduce you to the guitarist and vocalist extraordinaire
