Joël - “So Blue”

SXSW 2020 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 6

Pairs Well With…R.LUM.R, Cautious Clay, Frank Ocean

Joël expertly blends modern alternative R&B with classic 90s melodics, a balance of pop and personal as shown on his debut GRUNGE GOSPEL - Side A and recent single “So Blue”. The Canadian artist has a sweet, mysterious vocal tone, one he often alters from an out-front croon to bedroom pop vulnerability. This sad and sexy counterbalance rides cooly throughout GRUNGE GOSPEL, exemplified in the hurting/hopeful “Everything’s Cool”. “So Blue”, the lead track from GRUNGE GOSPEL’s upcoming Side B, is among the loneliest of Joël’s songs, so expect these introspective visions to continue on his debut’s completion. (Kevin McStravick)