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Earl Sweatshirt gets low and languid on new single, ‘Balance’

More ruminating on life, fame. and his grandma

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West Coast MC and former Odd Future member, Earl Sweatshirt, has just dropped a new single as part of the Adult Swim Singles 2016 series.

‘Balance’ is Earl’s first new release since dropping his one-off ‘Wind in My Sales’ earlier this year, which succeeded his excellently gloomy full-length project I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside.

While it barely touches the 90-second mark, “Balance” is vintage Earl in its languid self-deprecation and tempered execution.

The track also features instrumental hip-hop virtuoso, Knxwledge, behind the production table and adding some jazz-influenced piano samples to the blue atmosphere helmed by Earl.

There’s also no shortage of frankness, as Earl ruminates on his life, his love-hate relationship with fame and, of course, his late grandma, who he says he will be with “shortly”. Whatever that last bit means is anyone’s guess (although, should we be concerned?). Let’s just hope this is a signifier of more releases to come from one of hip-hop’s most forthright singularities.

Listen to ‘Balance’ below.

  • Words: Vincent Dwyer

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