If There’s Any Place To Be This Summer, It’s Listening To Fred Again.., Anderson .Paak and CHIKA

The incredible and multi-talented artist professionally known as Fred Again.. has recently dropped his new single, and the buzz around it is fantastic. 

Not only do listeners get his own personal genius, but also that of collaborators Anderson .Paak and CHIKA. Fred Again.. has a multitude of hit projects and live appearances to his name, all of which demonstrate this remarkable sense for finding perfect melodies, beats and audience engagement. 

As for the collaborators on the single, Anderson .Paak’s singing, rapping and producing talents began to show in the industry after his debut album ‘Venice’ in 2014. It immediately established him as a skilled professional in the industry. In more recent years, the artist has worked with names such as Dr. Dre on an album for a video game soundtrack and was featured as a drummer for the Super Bowl LVI halftime show. CHIKA is an American rapper who released her debut single ‘No Squares’ in 2019 and has been rising to stardom ever since. Her poetry is also something her fans marvel at; using this as a vessel to address important political and social issues gives her a defining feature as a woman of the people. She is no doubt one of this generation’s most exciting rising talents. 

The collaborative single ‘places to be’ has been teased and talked about on social media for a while, and so the hype around it was already very much existent. Its techno beat and electronic uniqueness establish it as a tune that’s perfect for this summer. It begins with a rhythmic pulsing, giving it this immediate upbeat sense of fun and freedom, of being the perfect tune to dance to. The electronic sounds that make a trademarked Fred Again.. track never disappoint and, here, listeners are treated to the vocals of these other incredibly talented rappers, one at a time. CHIKA sings“when I get home, I want you” followed by her fellow artist echoing “I got places to be”- gradually, we hear these two vocals begin to merge and find harmony in their lyrics thus allowing the mash-up to coordinate beautifully. 

As the song progresses, more and more elements are thrown in, making it dynamic and chaotic in the best way. As it nears the end, the artists throw in a distorted vocalisation lying under the beat, like a secret musical weapon, to really amplify the fun in the track. And, just as listeners feel as though there is no more they can do to improve it, we hear this awesome play on the lyrics “I’m readjusting my speed”; the tempo of the track slows down to distort the voices further and compliment the spoken word element alongside traditional techno sounds. The alignment found between lyrics and music is phenomenal from these artists, and it could not be more of an achievement. 

Abby Tapping 

@abs.tapp75

Image: ‘places to be’ Official Single Cover