Bronx-born artist, Sapuis unveils his sophomore album Before I Die, a 15-track project that explores relatable themes such as living up to one’s true potential and achieving goals. The self-produced/written project anchors on self-reliance, taking risks and embracing life challenges as they come.
The project begins with a dark and moody track “Before I Die,” built on a cinematic and eerie beat. Sapius doesn’t do much rapping here besides a few vocal utterances but the overall urgent feel cuts like a hot knife through butter. Next up is “We Outside,” a bright pop-infused track laced with summery guitar licks and head-nodding drums. Sapius looks at life from the bright side but acknowledges the dark times only as a reminder to live life to the fullest. The go-getter theme is ramped up on “Bet On Myself,” where Sapius embodies the winner’s spirit while feel-good vibes are the focus on the playful “Sunset Drive.” Armed with his expressive flow and use of melodies, Sapius brings a refreshing energy to these tracks.
As a versatile artist, he endeavours to show his wide range of musical influences as heard in the reflective and upbeat “LFG” and “Taking My Time.” These tracks blend soft rock grooves, and electronic pop elements, with Sapius adapting his flow to suit the soundscape. He doesn’t bore listeners with superfluous lyrics and rather cuts to the chase with direct and candid songwriting. The energy rises to a fever pitch on the atmospheric “Take Over” while the melancholy of “Part 1, pt. 2” takes precedence as he draws audiences into his world. The production on “ME” is quite unexpected but fits the theme with its dark pop textures and overall vapour wave aesthetic. The genre-bending approach is used in “BOSS” where he talks about losses and successes.
Other notable tracks include the solemn “Feel Like” which dives into his journey thus far, and the soul-trap vibes of “ISO” underpinned by stream-of-consciousness raps. Also is the bouncy “West Palm Beach” ripe with layered vocal effects and off-kilter lyrics. Sapius’ playful and somewhat nonchalant vocal performance is the underlining factor here. The project closes out with the heartfelt “Dont Let It” and the semi-autobiographical “JORDANIS SAPIUS.” Both tracks evoke urgency and give audiences a different perspective of Sapius’ artistry over atmospheric and punchy productions.
Overall, Before I Die is a rich fusion of sound experimentation, with the artist pushing musical boundaries as far as he can.
The Author
