Daniel Caeser has a knack for bringing you to the edge of your seat. Known for luscious, bedroom R&B sonnets, his sound simply ages like fine wine — remaining timeless no matter the era.
Six years since his GRAMMY-nominated debut album Freudian, the renowned Toronto vocalist has become an anomaly within the genre. Sharing his third full-length LP, NEVER ENOUGH, on Friday (April 7), Caeser overwhelming fills the fleeting void fans have felt from his extended absence. Swooning over early highlights like “Always” and “Toronto 2014,” NEVER ENOUGH is an overdose of serotonin that Caeser wraps within melody.
Featuring Omar Apollo (“Buyer’s Remorse”), serpentwithfeet, Ty Dolla $ign and Mustafa (“Toronto 2014”), Caeser offered a BONUS version for the record at midnight (April 10). Including renditions of three album favorites, NEVER ENOUGH’s added cuts see Summer Walker (“Always”), Rick Ross (“Valentina”) and BADBADNOTGOOD (“Please Do Not Lean”) earn guest spots. Amid the now-18-track LP, Caeser seems to have much more in store for fans, revealing he has three albums “begging to come out.”
Prior to its release, Caeser spaced out four singles — “Do You Like Me?” (Jan. 27) , “Let Me Go” (Feb. 10), “Valentina” (March 31) and “Unstoppable”(April 4) — to lead in his long-awaited return. “Valentina” and “Unstoppable” are the most recent — and infectious — of the bunch. With droning sirens, fuzzy synths and a groovy, tap-clap rhythm, “Valentina” is an ode to the apple of his eye, just trying to buy “one moment of time.” “From the first time, I looked into your eyes / I know that I would find / A way, to make you mine,” he croons, sending listeners to another world altogether.
Introduced by abducting melodies and a gripping bass line, underwater drums lead Caeser’s transporting performance on “Unstoppable,” as the album’s finale leaves fans with inspirational query. Wanderlust is a feeling Caeser is all too familiar in making, exploring the possibilities that come next in his life, singing singing: “Whose gon’ stop us, we’re unstoppable.” This is apparent all throughout the LP — feeling as though you’re floating alongside him.
Slow-burning percussion and contemplative electric guitars back Caeser’s transporting falsetto on “Let Me Go.” “I’m not leadin‘ you on, I’m leavin’ you behind… Baby won’t you let me go?”, he lifts listeners into oblivion on the hook — discussing how he’s “not afraid of manipulation,” but has run out of patience for his lover. He’s focusing on himself, realizing how “messy” his relationship got as he strives to break away before “my time expires.”
It’s a counteract to the emotions found on “Do You Like Me?”, where questions circle Caeser’s mind as he croons over flanger-dripped guitars, dreamily sauntering in between punchy drums and heavenly background vocals. “Do you like the way I talk to you? / Gotta say I love your attitude / And I’d love to make you mine / I wanna be in love again,” he sings on the intro, inviting his love interest closer with doubt still surrounding his feelings.
The visual paints a clearer picture of his intentions, striving to rewrite the wrongs his past has plagued him with. However, the frustration and fight that ensues says otherwise. A tribute to the freshly-lit flame love entraps you in, it’s wistful thinking that feels like teenage butterflies — whispering sweet nothings that ultimately leave him shut out.
Charismatic and charming, he sounds as if he’s at a bended knee with lines like, “Will we end up together? / Will you have my kids, you better.” His voice captivated with a melting high-pitch: “At first I was f**king your friend, but I really wanted you.” Toxic as it may seem, it sees him trying to close the gap between him and his lover to no avail.
Penning poetic journal entries and contributing to Lil Yachty’s Let’s Start Here prior to its release, it’s apparent that the follow-up to CASE STUDY 01 (2019) sees Caeser look inward more than ever before.
Listen to ‘NEVER ENOUGH’ below!
