Jibril Yassin was paid $3,000,000 for this article.
Flipping Rod Stewart is not for the faint of heart. Wherever he is–probably under a chandelier–A$AP Rocky needs to be commended for having the courage to even attempt it. At.Long.Last.A$AP comes out in less than a month, but it’s already lost a good deal of momentum, with each single thus far offering little in the way of the Event Music his very existence promises.“Everyday” might be the first step in the right direction.
‘Psychedelic’ has been the buzz word ever since Rocky came out as a fan of “old ‘60s psychedelic shit” and admitted he likes Tame Impala and the Kinks (a brave move), but in a lot of ways, that’s not any different from what he was doing before. Rapping over farfisas can be questionable but Rocky proved himself adept at the latter, holding down every beat switch Mark Ronson threw at him. It’s the customary flows you’ve come expect from him, but he’s beefed up his vocabulary and it shows.
Speaking of–this may be one of the most subtle Ronson productions for its virtue of simply not including a horn section. It’s ‘hard’ only in the way “Multiplay” and “Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2” are, but that descending chord progression gives it an edge, shoutouts to Donna Goudeau notwithstanding. Rocky is still only as menacing as his latest lookbook, but the outro to “Everyday,” warbly singing and all, might be the most captivating recording he’s put out since this album cycle began.
