Blood Orange

Devonté Hynes has collected a variety of eclectic identities throughout his career. Originally entering into the music scene as the lead singer of the noisy punk, instrumental band Test Icicles, Hynes switched to the solo pseudonym Lightspeed Champion after the group’s collapse. After releasing two semi-successful albums in 2008 and 2010 with Lightspeed Champion, Hynes once again ditched his identity, which brought him to his current alias, Blood Orange. Blood Orange is his most impressive work yet, and he has just released his second album under the label, entitled “Cupid Deluxe,” on Nov. 18.

In 2011 the Texas-born British singer-songwriter, Hynes, released his first album “Coastal Grooves” introducing Blood Orange to the world. This premiere album surprised critics and generated motly positive reviews, but it still fell short and lacked a comprising factor to pull it together. Hynes had progressed from his introductory scattered punk sound with Test Icicles and his slow indie sound with Lightspeed Champion, but the premiere album still was unimpressive and lacked a shock factor.

His latest album, “Cupid Deluxe” makes up for any doubt generated from “Coastal Grooves,” and displays how truly incredible Hynes’ sound really is. The new album shows Hynes is advancing his sound and has finally settled into an identity that cliques with him. Blood Orange has the perfect mixture of stirring vocals focusing on complex subjects like sexuality and isolation combined with his infiltration of creative sounds and unexpected instruments.

Some tracks on the album, “Chamakay” and “Uncle Ace,” are constructed with meaningful lyrics that resonate with his listeners on topics like loneliness and love. The song “You’re Not Good Enough” shows that he hasn’t lost his disco, dance-pop edge that he’d generated with some of his earlier music. Blood Orange has finally infused all of the scattered sounds of each of his aliases to create a unique sound with the seven tracks of “Cupid Deluxe.”

Many different artists collaborated and helped in the making of “Cupid Deluxe” including the mega successful Clams Casino. Hynes is a very sought-after talent, having produced and written with a number of notable artists, yet still having time to release his own innovative, imaginative music. To name a few, Britney Spears, Florence and the Machine, Sky Ferreira and Solange Knowles are among the list of artists he has worked with. Interestingly enough, Hynes is also said to have drawn up a friendship with Jay-Z through his work with Solange Knowles, so that could possibly lead to something cool in the future.

In a society where artists rely on their shocking antics to keep listeners interested, it’s refreshing to see a performer that seems to be effortlessly cool. Hynes relies solely on the music to captivate his audience. With such a diverse range of talents, Blood Orange will probably succeed in the industry, whether it’s through his music, producing or collaborations. This album is definitely worth checking out.