When Florida star Denzel Curry announced his upcoming studio album Melt My Eyez the first week of the year (Jan. 5), he slammed the door on any part of prior artistic self.
In an Instagram Live he posted on the day of the trailer’s release, he asserted that he was leaving behind his old personas and alter-egos like “Zeltron,” his aggressive “rah rah” energy and most importantly, the depression and anger issues that fueled his previous projects.
Denzel is now delivering on that promise, releasing his first promotional single and music video titled “Walkin” on Monday (Jan. 24). “Walkin” sees Curry touch on the injustices society throws at us in life, but that we must keep “walkin” towards our destiny.
The song lasts nearly five minutes, and contains two halves separated by a beat switch around the one-and-a-half minute mark. Over production from Kal Banx, famous for his work with TDE artists like Isaiah Rashad and SiR, Denzel rides the first boom-bap beat with focus and intent. He emphasizes how unfair life can be to the less fortunate as he is all too used to “watchin’ massacres turn to runnin’ mascara.” But, he aims to operate differently, by getting to the money and sharing it with those who helped him along the way.
They ready to set us up for failure, it’s systematic
But when I felt it, my eyes melted
The selfish are constantly profitin’ off the hеlpless
I never do my tеam green, make the team green like the Celtics
“Walkin” — Denzel Curry
With harmonious “ahhh” background vocals and trap drums introduced, the second half of the song commences, with a much more traditional structure of hooks and verses. This portion reiterates what he told fans on his IG live, as he leaves behind his worries and qualms with life to keep pushing forward. As he states in the final bar of the first verse, all he can do is “stay focused” and “keep walkin.”
Since my birth and seconds on Earth, I been the first one to confront
All of these cycles that get recycled, makin’ it stifle while I stunt
Roll me a blunt so I forget it
But it make the details look so vivid
Went through a lot of shit in the last year (Uh-huh)
Then I said, “F**k it, I’ma handle my business” (Yeah, yeah)
“Walkin” — Denzel Curry
The visuals for “Walkin” demonstrate the bar he employed multiple times on the track “Walkin’ with my back against the sun.” As he treks through a desert village, he leaves behind the tumultuous occurrences in life to keep moving forward. At the end of the video, he vanquishes an enemy, which was likely a manifestation of his past.
The album’s collaborators in JID, T-PAIN, Kenny Beats and more initially peaked fans’ interest, however, the direction of Melt My Eyez seems to be the most thrilling. In the same Instagram Live, Denzel spoke on how the album will lean heavily on jazz, neo-soul and traditional hip-hop influences, which he demonstrates on “Walkin.”
Alongside the single’s release, Denzel dropped a 2022 U.S. tour announcement with several dates, and eye-catching openers like Kenny Mason and redveil, as the tickets will go on sale Friday (Jan. 28) at 10 a.m. ET.
If you had not been paying attention up until this point, now is the time to tune in, because Denzel Curry’s new image is “Walkin” into our lives.
Check out Denzel Curry’s new single “Walkin” below!
