Solace & The Vices

With Bryson Tiller’s 2024 self-titled album, the Louisville crooner crafted a genre-bending departure from his comfort zone, experimenting with the soundscapes of dancehall, drill, and pop next to his signature mixture of hip-hop and R&B. Tiller fully embraced himself and where he was at within his artistry, so much so that he decided to take a hiatus from music after its release to pursue his passion for video game design. But now he’s back with *Solace & The Vices*, a double album that lets go of the pressures of the industry and starts a new chapter of his ever-evolving sound. On the first half of *Solace & The Vices*, Tiller looks inward as he gets somberly vulnerable about his struggles with romance, handling fame, and more. On the album opener “Strife,” he croons about wanting his lover to give him another chance, while on “Workaholic,” he exposes his own shortcomings as a partner due to obsessing over his career: “I was scared of going broke in 2018/That was after all the money and the fame/Going back to how it was, the shit’ll be a shame.” “I treated *Solace* like a therapy session,” Tiller tells Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. “I really want people to listen to it that way, almost as if I’m sitting on a couch and you’re just listening to what I’m saying.” And he does just that, taking listeners on a voyage through his psyche as he pulls himself apart to reflect on the highs and lows of his relationships, whether he’s dealing with losing a lover to someone else (“Damn”), making the hard decision to end a connection (“Uncertainty”), or finding new love again (“I Need Her,” “Star Signs”). The second half of *Solace & The Vices* finds Tiller showcasing the other side of his artistry. As he does across the majority of his discography, the singer-songwriter toes the line between singing and rapping; however, on *The Vices* he leans less into the moody trap-soul tracks that defined his career and launched him into superstardom. Instead, he dives deeper into the rap-heavy side of his musicality, delivering sharp flows and gritty, energetic bars over dynamic production from Charlie Heat, Gravez, Teddy Walton, and Hitmaka. Tiller is unapologetic as he revels in his impulsive nature, waxing poetic as he brags about his lifestyle (“First Place,” “200 Bands,” “Make Life Easy”) while navigating the ups and downs of his situationships (“No Sharing,” “More Than Money,” “Last Call”), and even contemplates letting go of his player ways (“Burnout”). Tiller isn’t alone as he ventures through partying and romance. He gets some help from Bossman Dlow, Rick Ross, Plies, T-Pain, BabyDrill, Luh Tyler, and Bun B, who are along for the ride. On the closing track “Finished,” Tiller addresses his naysayers and critics who doubt his ability to surpass his 2015 debut album *T R A P S O U L*. His resilience in the face of criticism is evident as he confidently asserts: “I’ll be done with this shit when I’m done/I ain’t lookin’ for the number one /Just money and the shit keep comin’/Kept goin’, can’t risk bein’ nothin’/Ain’t fallin’ off, bitch, you funny.”

At his most effective, Tiller is able to lock into a slipstream where rapping and singing, verse and hook, merge in a melodic, forceful flow.