When Blxst quipped, “I ain’t heard one bad Blxst song” on his single Pressure, as part of his 2020 EP No Love Lost, he wasn’t just displaying confidence — he was predicting the future. The future in question is a refreshing discography of musical projects strung together by his soulful croons, innovative production tenets, and skillful storytelling rivaled only by his catalog itself. Blxst’s commitment to creating and telling cohesive stories is a consistent theme in his musicality, whether through his trio of collaborative Sixtape projects with Bino Rideaux or his acclaimed solo projects like Before You Go and, most recently, his debut album, I’ll Always Come Find You. This latest iteration in his musical dynasty proves such while highlighting another consistent theme in his artistry — growth. One listen of I’ll Always Come Find You and its deluxe counterpart quickly indicates a departure from his usual production style, which was intentional on his behalf as he wanted to showcase his multifacetedness while revisiting his roots.
“As an artist, I think being inspired by music in general created this project. I wanted to tap into my inner child and the different sounds I fell in love with as a music fan before I even thought about being an artist. That’s what this album was — me experiencing different cultures, flavors, tempos, and even playing with my voice from falsettos to lower tones, giving people a different side of what they expect from me.”
While this may be his debut album, Blxst’s earlier bodies of work have already laid the foundation for his artistic legacy, undoubtedly carving out his niche as a profound storyteller. It would be understandable if the singer succumbed to the typical jitters that accompany releasing a debut project, but for Blxst, not so much. The songwriter used this opportunity to expand the album into its own cinematic universe told through the eyes of his alter-ego, Birdie.
“I wanted to come correct, leave a stamp, and tap into my inner child. I thought about albums that I fell in love with early on, like 50 Cent’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’, and how he magnified it outside of the music or how he had a movie attached to it, and it was just larger than life. That’s how I wanted to attack my debut album, where I build out a whole world and dive into the character of Birdie, who you hear throughout the album, and bring him to life so when the live show comes about, people can feel like they’re immersed into this world that I built.”
For new and long-time fans who might inquire about the identity of the mysterious Birdie, the inquiries may be short-lived, considering you’ve already met him. Birdie, Blxst’s alter-ego, is the main character introduced in this latest era of the performer’s career, specifically, the I’ll Always Come Find You album and short film. As listeners journey through the auditory experience of the album’s themes of love, confidence, and work ethic, the protagonist of Birdie is leading the way and navigating them in Blxst’s cinematic universe.
“Birdie is actually a character within my album and short film, who I bring to life on stage, but it’s really my alter ego. This whole I’ll Always Come Find You world is about Blxst in an alternate universe. As Blxst, I like to keep my life private. This is my way of doing it in the art form to where I’m still telling my story but not to where they can pinpoint it to me. I’m a huge fan of people who’ve done that, like 50 Cent, Eminem, Tyler the Creator, and Beyoncé; they all have alter egos. I still relate to this character in specific ways and just pour it into the music.”
As with any masterful orchestrator, Blxst wields his own set of otherworldly abilities; his happens to be singing, songwriting, production, and, as of late, filmmaking. As he continues incorporating more visual elements into his projects, he reflects on how collaboration is a throughline in curating more expansive visual anthologies.
“The filmmaking part is more collaborative for me. I came up doing music in my room by myself, just being isolated. It was therapeutic, and I grew to become a collaborator over time. But in the film world, you have to be a collaborator. You have to depend on your colleagues, like the director and the producers. It is a community at the end of the day. We’re all trying to get the same vision across versus me just speaking along with music. That’s what I enjoy about it. I linked with my friend City James, who directed pretty much my entire catalog from No Love Lost to Before You Go and I’ll Always Come Find You. It’s just beautiful to see how we’ve grown to be able to put things from the music on film. This is a high school friend I’ve seen develop over time and become a pivotal piece in the industry outside of me.”
As Blxst continues to hone his storytelling through sheer musical genius and unadulterated talent, he hopes his legacy will inspire his legion of supporters to truly embrace joy on this journey called life.
“I just want people to be able to live in a moment more, to experience the joy and even the pain. Just don’t let it pass you by. This album is an opportunity to be in the moment and forget about everything at home and just be joyful, dance, leave it all behind, and leave it all on the floor.”