Best New Music: Blood Orange “Mind Loaded”

With his new album, Essex Honey, due Aug. 29 via RCA Records, Blood Orange continues to ring in his return with “Mind Loaded” featuring Caroline Polachek, Lorde, and Mustafa. In the time between his last full-length release and now, Dev Hynes, the artist behind Blood Orange, has kept busy by frequently contributing to other musicians as a featured artist and songwriter-producer.

“Mind Loaded” is a testament to how connected and, by extension, respected Hynes is, having assembled an ensemble of eclectic vocalists who come together in perfect harmony under his creation.

The synths at the start help to put the listener in a trance, with Hynes’ familiarly angelic vocals guiding throughout. From there, the orchestral strings catapult the track into a place between meditative crooner and cinematic grandeur, the latter of which can be attributed to the guest singers’ brief yet impactful appearances.

For the last minute of “Mind Loaded,” electronic instrumentation takes the wheel and energizes the song into something that could’ve been right at home on other Blood Orange projects. However, it’s short-lived, with the track taking more twists and turns down to the last few seconds.

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Through the sudden sonic changes, Elliott Smith interpolations, and smartly placed features, “Mind Loaded” lives up to its name as a single loaded with ideas. At the same time, they never collide into one another, instead representing a vibrant tapestry that has defined Hynes’ career thus far.

See Blood Orange in LA at the Shrine on Oct. 16 and at Kia Forum on Oct. 18.

Visit Blood Orange on Instagram and his website to stay updated on new releases and tour dates.

Listen to Blood Orange’s “Mind Loaded.”

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