On Friday, May 17, 2024, Rapsody released her fourth studio album, “Please Don’t Cry.” With over an hour of music and 22 tracks, Rapsody delivers her most vulnerable and personal album to date. The album is blended with triumph and sensitivity as well as accompanied by beautiful neo-soul and jazz inspired sounds. Rapsody distributes a record with a warning in its title since the album serves as a tear jerker through the relatability of being human.
“Look What You’ve Done” is a hypnotizing track that begins with an addictive instrumental and is followed by an amazing baseline with catchy drums and snares. Rapsody raps about the way society has molded her to be both weak and triumphant.
“I wonder all the time why Lauryn left / Some days I feel I’ll do the exact same thing / It ain’t no love here / The whips, chains, money and fame talk,” Rapsody raps.
Rapsody’s comparison to music legend Lauryn Hill exemplifies her desire to leave the working world she knows behind. Hill abandoned her music career to live a more secluded and meaningful life, and Rapsody pleads the same as she indicates that the external successes of her career do not relate to the success of love.
“3:AM,” featuring Erykah Badu, depicts the feelings of young love at an older age. The sweet and warm sentiment shared between two individuals is further illustrated in the song. Rapsody and Badu depict romantic scenarios that draw perfect images in the minds of listeners. Although not all love works out, the feelings linger through the perspective of maturity.
“I learned so much, you were like my second adolescence / We grew wit each other til we grew apart / My heart crying at the thoughts of memories I utter / ‘Cause you were always there for me / And for that, I’ll always love you,” Rapsody sings.
In “Loose Rocks,” featuring Alex Isley, Rapsody raps about dealing with her own mental struggles and moments where she could have done better as a person. The song’s focal point arises where Rapsody discusses the heart break of aiding a loved one with dementia.
“Dementia touch your memory, you like my second mother / The reality, one day to you I’ll be a stranger / My reality is that I dread the day I walk into the house / And you ask someone who I am,” Rapsody raps.
As somber instrumentals with spiritual vocals run through the entirety of the record, the song ends with a phone call between Rapsody and her suffering loved one, tugging at heartstrings with a saddening reality.
“Back In My Bag” serves as one of the many victorious tracks that display Rapsody’s artistic versatility. As she excellently raps about humanity and her strong will, she simultaneously pays homage to those who inspired her. Rapsody excels through the likeness of her charismatic wordplay and impressive ability to rap over chopped and sampled instrumentation.
“Back on the rims, ridin’ on rims / Came in all black to dat, I came back, back-to-back / They reign and they rain, yeah, you see how I’m coming,” Rapsody raps.
“Don’t Cry Interlude” features a spoken word recited by American actress Phylicia Rashad. Over a piano and euphoric, echoing vocals, Rashad delivers an emotional and tender performance that serves as a reminder that it is okay to be sensitive.
“Please don’t cry / But if you do / Laugh till you cry / Yes, do that / Love so deeply you taste it,” Rashad says.
Rapsody displays her arsenal of talents in her latest record “Please Don’t Cry.” Taking her time in carefully crafting her greatest work of art yet, Rapsody delivers a care package for all listeners and a record that will be cemented as a modern day classic.