Editorial: @VannDigital Reviews ‘Blood Sweat Tears’ By Shaliek (@OfficialShaliek)

Shaliek has been fortunate enough to enjoy solitude on VannDigital before, however there was always a sense of lacking whenever I listened to him. I felt the more I listened to him, the more I left his music wanting something more. On his most recent drop, he came swinging, however in the end it fell a bit short with me in terms of the content & experience of the mood.

Shaliek’s first move was naming the project ‘Blood Sweat Tears‘. For a dedicated R&B fan base, I felt that the name was unfitting for the tone & production for the project. The sound of the project has the tension of struggle, which is not synonmous with the overall title of the project. I was expecting a different kind of music when I read that name & wasn’t satisfied with the overall groove.

The tracklisting itself was solid, however I felt as if the project wasn’t cohesive enough. Each track brings its own unique flavor, but doesn’t come close to meshing together for the extensive cohesiveness that is unique in every artist. I understand how difficult it can be to come up with some of that material, but I believe had Shaliek taken the extra leap & made a story or central message off the project, that it would have gotten a lot more praise from my end.

Some of the more positive things about the project was the choice in production. This sounds like R&B which I believe is a dying field. The different synth leads, claps, & basslines really combine together to make soothing sounds & fits Shaliek’s unique voice. But that was not enough to save the project for me.

Keep it up Shaliek. Maybe you’ll get me on the next one.