Every youngster’s favorite, KYLE, is more than a role model whose music exists as a summery vehicle of adolescent self-discovery and love. His music and artistic explorations should be admired and taken to heart by listeners and artists alike across the wide expanse of innovative new-age music. The multi-dimensional California artist and actor has exploded onto the limelight over the course of the last year or so, gaining particular steam with his 2016 Lil Yachty collaboration, iSpy. The single now concludes KYLE’s newly released debut album, Light of Mine – a project that in no way fails to live up to and even exceed the renowned track by which it is likely to be most represented.

 

Although the single is the only track on which Yachty is credited, the boat’s influence is vast and wholesome throughout the project’s entirety – providing narrations and partaking in expectedly light-hearted dialogue that assists in the KYLE’s creative and thematic directions. These thematic explorations drive home deep feelings and desire for summer love and fruit smoothies in the sun. But it’s not all rainbows and butterflies. Quite to the contrary, KYLE seems to be an artist willing to openly discuss his honest insecurities and issues – he also just so happens to be a positivist, and through that lens, his messages are often skewed and underappreciated.

 

But, in times like these where hip-hop in particular is at the most definitive crossroads it has ever experienced, KYLE is perhaps one of the artists that polarized listeners and creators alike can come to appreciate the most, and Light of Mine, may just be the proof we all needed. He is clearly a gifted artist in many respects, but let’s just focus on his music and more thoroughly, his debut album.

 

Aside from particular stringent old-heads who would rather die than listen to a young artist rap about anything non-gangster-centric in any style other than that of that late 80’s or 90’s, hip-hop, soul, R&B, and even radio pop fans across the board will find much to like about Light of Mine.

 

KYLE’s delivery and underlying approach to his music is not necessarily an innovative construct. Many artists before him – a long list of artists in fact from the Fresh Prince to Skizzy Mars to Chance the Rapper – have driven hip-hop’s path of light-hearted vibes and honest, relatable lyricism, but few have ever seemed to pull it off quite like KYLE. 

 

There is nothing forced in his music which seems to be simply a living representation of him as an individual. Easy-going. Hard-working. Trying to find his way. Struggling with his love life. Confident in himself. Bubbly. Positive. Open. At the end of the day spent listening to Light of Mine, I’m finding myself being a more approachable, content, and loving individual than I was the day before.

 

Let’s take a moment to appreciate just how powerful something like that can be. Of course, music affects us in ways greater and more thorough than we ever grant it credit for, but with so much of our music circling negative ideologies, we are often left depressed or angry after listening. In honesty, this approach is equally important to that of an artist like KYLE’s, but it just seems that nowadays, artists like KYLE are exceedingly rare. And at no time in recent memory does it seem like we need KYLE kind of artists to lead the way to a more positive outlook on life. If nothing else, perhaps his particularly youthful following yields a bright outlook for the future.

 

But, let’s get back to the music.

 

Fans across music, whether they are attracted to composition and production, penmanship and meaning, or cadence and vocals, can find no qualms with Light of Mine. KYLE has no problem seamlessly weaving in and out of his West Coast cadence and his summery R&B vocal delivery. He also, as discussed before, has a particular knack for instilling within his tracks, particularly forward and relatable messages of positivity through the use of his story-telling and world-building ability. Lastly, as many artists subscribing to the new, productively-adept school of music, the production level of Light of Mine is faultless and only aids and strengthens every anecdote and smile-inducing use of wordplay.

 

I’m going to be perfectly honest and tell you that my lucky ass is penning these final thoughts on Light of Mine from an open-air café in Bali. There is likely no doubt that my feelings towards an album particularly light-hearted and screaming for warm weather, care-free application are thus affected. But it also proves to me that if nothing else, KYLE’s debut album is a clear front runner to soundtrack our summers, though, with its unexpectedly relatable, lovable, and innovative strokes of creative genius, it’s a safe bet that it will continue to pick up steam well into autumn and winter. 

 

KYLE is for the kids inside of each and every one of us, and Light of Mine is his thesis that proves his positive affect on the music industry both musically and thematically will continue for years to come.