FIVE years on from ‘HUMBLE’, Kendrick Lamar has returned with one of his most observational singles to date in ‘The Heart Part 5’.
Unparalleled in the art of vivid storytelling, the Compton rapper has continually looked to expand his ambitions and switch things up, with change always a core part of his creative process. And this single looks to precede one of his biggest shifts to date.
‘The Heart Part 5’ will appear on the imminent ‘Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers’, out on 13th May, and is probaby already one of the year’s most eagerly anticipated records.
A surprise release this week, the song is beautiful, dense and complex – even for Kendrick’s standards – with novelistic lyrics layered with themes of suffering and survival – referencing the George Floyd number, the loss of Black icons, community and societal concerns, even morphing into deepfakes at times. Built on a sleek, modern reconstruction of Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You’, it’s a powerful return that adds a new level to his catalogue.
Listen in below.
