Fousheé's 'time machine' Is Dreamy, Hypnotic, and Entirely in a Lane of Its Own
Photo: RCA
As we idly transition from spring into summer, it seems imperative that we give every last spring release its flowers - both literally and figuratively. Luckily, this week sees Fousheé making her long-awaited return with her debut record time machine, the perfect album for bidding goodbye to spring as summer begins to turn the corner.
After her mega-hit "Deep End" went viral last year, amassing her over 150M streams on Spotify alone, a devoted fanbase, and even a single with Lil Wayne, Fousheé has a lot to live up to with her newest release. To perhaps nobody's surprise, time machine is a short and sweet offering of dreamy R&B hits that shows that Fousheé has no intention of slowing down anytime soon.
It is rare that upcoming artists, especially those as early into their careers as Fousheé, are able to make consistently high-quality music, but Fousheé's debut LP manages to be just that. time machine is filled to the brim with nine ethereal and sometimes ambient R&B tracks that refuse to be confined to one genre. Her Depeche Mode cover "enjoy the silence" synthesizes her hypnotic R&B register with Depeche Mode's industrial rock sound to make something entirely distinct. Though the percussion is punchy, the guitars are so reverb-heavy that they sound like they were mixed at the bottom of a well, blurring all genre-boundaries in the process.
"clap for him" features a guest appearance from Lil Yachty, and the two effortlessly flow on the cool and confident cute-rap-meets-R&B banger. Their chemistry is undeniable, at least until the record's closing track "candy grapes" with Steve Lacy. Reaching her aural fever pitch, Fousheé and Lacy deliver a powerful seven-minute ballad that only leaves the listener wanting more.
time machine is a powerful and masterfully crafted showcasing of one of R&B's most promising up-and-coming stars. Fousheé's incredible vocal performance paired with her genre-mixing of R&B, ambient, electronic, indie pop, and even garage rock make every moment on the record feel like a stylistic left turn - an infectious baseball game where only curveballs are thrown.
Though some artists are unable to escape the shadows of their viral Tik Tok moments, time machine is proof that Fousheé has more than enough talent and wit to become one of music's next heavy-hitters.
Listen to time machine below:
