I was really impressed when Lo Lytes came across my radar at the beginning of this year and he’s continued to improve with each release. There’s no doubt “Devil You Know” is his best single, a steamy proclamation of irresistible friction that his nameless lover can’t help but return to again and again and again. His vocals are top notch that would be totally fitting on pop radio and the production here is full of layers that continue to reveal themselves with each and every listen. Also, “baby loving me is suicide” has to be one of the most seething lines of all time – I can’t help but keep thinking about that one even when I’m not listening to the single because it’s the type of art that sticks with you.
I heard a lecture where a speaker proclaimed that literature isn’t the only thing that should be part of the sacred canon of spirituality. He made a case for movies like The Devil’s Advocate as philosophical entities that deserve appraisal as communicating ideas worthy of historical significance (which I fully agree with as the devil’s monologues in that film have stuck with me since it arrived in the ’90s). I think that concept speaks to a larger idea that ALL art needs to be taken seriously wherever it delivers an impact, so I have to say that aforementioned lyric from “Devil You Know” fits the bill. I suggest holding your favorite music up to the light and appreciating it beyond your favorite playlist!