REVIEW: Ty Dolla Sign’s ‘Beach House 3’ Is Not To Be Slept On
Originally Published October 27th, 2017 at salutemag.com.
Hip-Hop/R&B recording artist Ty Dolla $ign takes us back to where it all started on his sophomore album, Beach House 3, available now from Atlantic Records.
After successfully bearing the inner workings of his soul on his 2015 debut album Free TC, Dolla Sign decided it was finally time to return to the “Beach House” story arc — his first two mixtapes and EP — that first helped jump-start the 32-year-old musician’s career.
For such a young artist, Dolla $ign has proven himself a titan of the industry, having been featured on nearly 40 different singles in 2017 alone. Now, he returns with a brand new full-length studio album featuring 20 more tracks. I mean… does this guy sleep?
Beach House 3 opens with “Famous,” an acoustic guitar-lead vocal track that embodies the album’s recurring concept. The “Famous” theme returns sporadically throughout the album as a short segue between tracks and commentary on the process, with such titles as “Famous Lies,” “Famous Excuses,” “Famous Friends,” “Famous Amy,” and “Famous Last Words.”
The lead single, “Love You Better,” was released in July and features Lil Wayne and The-Dream on a brilliant blend of electronic dance and contemporary R&B music, produced by and Twice As Nice Productions. The track went on to peak at no. 20 on the Billboard Rhythmic chart.
Still Brazy-rapper YG jumps in on the track “Ex,” featuring samples from the 1996 remix of R&B group 112’s “Only You” featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Mase.
Dolla $ign continues to flex his vocal talent on the trap-infused track, “Droptop in the Rain” featuring Tory Lanez, and the surprising contemporary R&B track “Don’t Judge Me” featuring additional vocals byFuture and Swae Lee of the hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd.
The music video for his third single, “Dawsin’s Breek,” was directed by Ryan Hope and features Dolla Sign and Jeremih singing about taking it easy in a “brand new coupe,” putting it in park, while they kick back and blow smoke at the strip club.
“Don’t Sleep On Me,” is a club banger featuring Future and the unique voice of up-and-coming Atlanta singer 24hrs, on a track that you should take to heart. Seriously… you don’t want to sleep on this.
Dolla $ign can move between genres so fluidly you’re not even sure when it’s happening. On the track “Stare” he goes back to spitting bars with Wiz Khalifa, while producer/songwriter Pharrell Williams sings the chorus.
Back in September, Dolla $ign released his second single from Beach House 3, “So Am I” featuring Skrillex and Damian Marley. In an interview with Billboard, Dolla Sign said that he would be “trying out ‘new reggae’” with the radio-friendly tropical tune that fits perfectly with the island theme of the album.
“Lil Favorite” is just that… if you find it to be your favorite track on the album, don’t be in shock. Featuring 25-year-old Atlanta rapper,MadeinTYO, the track shows Dolla $ign is lightyears ahead of the game with this East Coast-West Coast collaboration.
Lauren Jauregui of pop music girl-group Fifth Harmony makes a surprise appearance on the track “In Your Phone,” a pop-infused R&B track that is another surefire single.
Beach House 3 wraps up with the tracks, “Message In A Bottle” a soulful melody with a synth-tinged beat that makes it a very different type of sound altogether, and “Nate Howard Intro” an inspirational message from composer Nate Howard that is heavily distorted yet leaves listeners feeling complete.
RATING: 4/5
Beach House 3 is some of Dolla $ign’s most interesting and exciting works yet. It’s very debatable, whether or not it tops Free TC, but it’s certainly much more and much better than what you may expect going into it.
Originally published at salutemag.com.
