If Natural Brown Prom Queen, the second album from R&B singer-songwriter Sudan Archives, was her coming-of-age story as an artist, then her newest single “DEAD” is the answer to “What happens next?” The song acknowledges the three-year gap between 2022 and now, during which the Cincinnati native’s career took off in more ways than one with multiple tours and life changes.
Considering the amount of changes that happened to Sudan, it’s only right that “DEAD” reflects that by taking her music into a realm somewhere between dance and orchestra, the latter of which is apparent from the experimental opening of the single. Her vocals soon come into the picture, complementing the grand scale of the jittery strings before a thumping EDM bass somehow sounds right at home.
On paper, the combination shouldn’t help. However, the transition between genres is made natural thanks to Sudan’s voice guiding the experimentation, with “DEAD” successfully living up to its existential premise that’s made more resonant by how much evolution Sudan has undergone.
By the time “DEAD” reaches its second half, it’s in new territory made familiar through flourishes of shimmering instrumentation that boost the already anthemic approach to dance music. The outro, in particular, is where the track reaches a new high and teases at an exciting direction that simultaneously carves out a corner in electronic music for Sudan.
Visit Sudan Archives on Instagram and her website to stay updated on new releases and tour dates.
Listen to “DEAD” the new single from Sudan Archives below!
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