After “act ii: date @ 8” hit, nothing was the same for 4batz. That major viral moment sent the Dallas singer hurtling into the spotlight, collaborating with stars like Drake, Lil Baby, and USHER, to name just a few. Endeared to ’90s-meets-2000s R&B aesthetics yet skillfully refurbished with modern Southern hip-hop appeal, 2024’s *u made me a st4r* provided a more complete picture of the type of artist he aimed to be. “I just was dealing with a lot of pressure going in my last project,” he tells Apple Music. “I had to settle down and remind myself that I could still do this.” For his follow-up *Still Shinin*, sporting solid features from Texas rappers Maxo Kream and Zillionaire Doe, his endeavors to self-define and self-assess continue to progress in his favor. “We from Texas, so it hit different,” he says. “We showing y’all the culture right now, man.” With Swishahouse co-founder and Chopstars DJ OG Ron C frequently popping in as a mixtape-styled host, the project furthers 4batz’s episodic escapades via the grindset romantics of “act x: n da mornin” and the lusty versatility of “act xiii: my lil shootah.” Production-wise, a woozy gloss coats just about every track, applying an ethereal, otherworldly quality to “act xiv: twerksongggg” and the knowing throwback “act xii: big on u.”
