Roy Woods was once one of the most elusive and mysterious R&B talents of the 2010s- that is, until about fifteen hours ago. Moreover, the Canadian artist finally dropped Mixed Emotions, his first new full-length project in about six years. While that was a long wait, that doesn't mean that he's been completely radio silent for the past few years. In fact, he released plenty of singles in anticipation of this new album, including the pained but passionate track "Don't Love Me." As such, this wasn't the surprise that it could've been, but perhaps that's for the best. After all, we knew that it would be a welcome return.
Despite this being an album firmly rooted in R&B tendencies, Roy Woods achieves a lot of sonic variety throughout. For example, "Test What I Know" plays with Jersey club rhythms, whereas "Gas Out The Window" is a woozy and spacious trap-leaning melodic cut. The constant throughout is the 27-year-old's engaging and vibrant vocal delivery, which is the right balance between breathy and nasal. Furthermore, the result is a steady, pleasant, and above all vibe-filed tracklist that still manages to find some surprises. With a scant feature list including Coi Leray, Vory, and Jada Kingdom, each contribution is made all the more important and unique.
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Roy Woods' Mixed Emotions: Stream
Meanwhile, other cuts like "Don't Mind Me" will remind listeners of what made (and makes) the OVO signee a special artist. Still, there's enough variety here to not only differentiate Mixed Emotions from his previous work, but pave a path forward to other sounds in his career. As such, it's great to have him back in the release schedule; he was certainly missed. If you haven't heard this album yet, find it on your preferred streaming service and check out the tracklist below. Also, come back to HNHH for the latest news and updates on Roy Woods, and for more great R&B each week.
Tracklist
1. Made Mistakes
2. Young Boy Problems
3. Don't Love Me
4. Hate Me (feat. Coi Leray)
5. Test What I Know
6. Down Like That
7. That Thang (feat. Jada Kingdom)
8. Dime
9. Insecure
10. Bad Bad
11. Don't Mind Me
12. Unsettling (feat. Vory)
13. Touch You
14. Gas Out The Window
15. You Ain't In The 6
16. Thought It Was You
17. I Just Wanna Love