What is Blush?
That’s the question on the tip of everyone's tongue- or at least everyone in a small corner of the internet. At its core, Blush is an album by American Rapper and Singer, Kevin Abstract. The project started around Halloween of 2024 when Abstract moved back to Houston, Texas. He swiftly became ‘locked in’ with the creation of the album, going in with a goal to produce voices and make this solid collective alongside creating music that meant something to him. By June 27th, Blush’s release date, Abstract had created 18 tracks in total, all of which were in collaboration with friends, both famous and less so, just people Abstract thought would sound amazing on the project. Blush was released via Juno and X8 Music, both labels owned by Abstract himself and the executive producer of Blush, Quadeca, respectively. You can stream it HERE.
[ Blush Album Cover ]
Beyond being an album, Blush is a community, it’s a creative mindset, it disrupts, it challenges the norm, and everything in between. Compared to Abstract’s last ‘group project’, Brockhampton, Blush as a collective is meant to be less exclusive; it’s for the people. Though Blush carries some major names in music, Dominic Fike, Danny Brown, and JPEGMafia, to name a few, Abstract is ultimately reaching out to anyone and everyone, encouraging them to submit their work. If you’re a musician, a model, a designer, a videographer, etc, there could be a place in Blush for you. It’s a unique approach, but it does a great job at breaking down these boundaries between who’s considered an ‘artist’ and who’s ‘just a fan’.
In an early Instagram post, Abstract also describes Blush as being “truly limitless”, and from the first rollout alone, we’re seeing that sentiment. I’ve never seen an artist carry this attitude on creating a long-term project and feel like they mean it. This isn’t some ploy for Abstract to create this illusion of community, make false promises, or garner a larger fan base. Blush is the real deal; it’s about the talent and the music, not about who you know. This outlook is honestly uplifting and exactly what we need at a time when everyone is comparing themselves based on fame alone.
[ Blush Credits via Instagram ]
It’s about a week since Blush hit streaming and I quite frankly have not put the album down. On my first listen, I passed out somewhere around ‘Maroon’ after trying so hard to keep myself awake to catch a full run-through on release night. I woke up a half hour later to the album cover sitting pretty on my TV and ‘Post Break Up Beauty’ playing softly in my headphones. I was immediately flooded with regret about messing up my first listen, as you never get that back. Since then, I've of course returned to the album multiple times, at least once a day, honestly, usually listening from front to back rather than picking out individual songs.
Blush has been my getting-ready playlist, whether it be for work or going out with friends. I’ve listened to it while driving both during the day under the hot sun and at night with my windows down. My favourite experience was roaming the half-empty streets of Toronto with Blush pulsing through my headphones as I desperately tried to catch my train. Most recently, I listened to Blush in a doctor's office with my sketchbook in my lap and pen in hand, taking loose notes on each song as I waited for my mom.
Those notes, alongside my own ‘research’ into Blush, create the album review and track-by-track you’re about to read.
[ Blush Tracklist via Instagram ]
‘The Introduction’ is the first track of Blush, spanning a short 19 seconds. It certainly starts the album off on an interesting foot, not giving you a lot to work with. There’s no real build-up within ‘The Introduction’ as listeners are immediately thrown into this textured soundscape rather than eased into the album. The only vocals come in the form of a spoken poem presented by roro in Spanish that when translated says: “Wasted time, Potential spent, Bad nail pain, Poke the eyes of those who made us think, That a spear in the chest, Is worth more than dark eyes on a face”.
‘The Introduction’ somewhat blends seamlessly into ‘H-Town’, a title I can only assume means ‘Hometown’, which is Blush’s first full-length song on the tracklist. ‘H-Town’ is a sturdy track, one that has a simple beat and piano that creates the bulk of the production which in turn generates a lyrical focus. Each verse is highly descriptive, painting this scenery of what a ‘Hometown’ may look like or did look like to the artists featured on the track (Abstract, So Flexy, Ameer Vann, & Love Spells). These verses are interrupted by what I can only describe as ‘moments of clarity’, where the production becomes somewhat airy with Love Spells providing these gorgeous accompanying vocals.
There's a harsh transition into ‘Copy’ (Abstract, So Flexy, Ameer Vann, & Love Spells), with the track kicking off with these less subtle beats of drums and electric guitar that progressively get loose and somewhat lost the longer you listen. I would say this ‘loose’ feeling gets the listener feeling ‘dazed’, an emotion that again, can correspond with Love Spells taking charge vocally on ‘Copy’. It seems that Love Spells really knows how to cast a ‘spell’ on the track, forming this natural romantic and dreamy atmosphere around every song they touch. Out of all of the collaborations on Blush, Love Spells' consistent presence may just be my favourite, and this comes from someone who was unfamiliar with the artist before exploring Blush’s extensive list of collaborators. ‘Copy’ ends with this little Blush-related outro, a detail we see a few times throughout the course of the album.
‘Danny’s Track’ is pretty self-explanatory, with the song being roughly 50 seconds of Danny Brown speaking his mind. Despite Danny Brown being a wildly popular artist, accumulating over a million monthly Spotify listeners, I often find myself stumbling across him collaborating with the ‘smaller’ and ‘underground’ (I use those terms loosely) artists I listen to, leading me to wonder if there’s ever been a feature he’s turned down, or if he just continues collaborating for the love of the game. ‘Danny’s Track’ transitions into ‘Yoko Ono’ (Abstract, Love Spells & Makana XO), which similarly to ‘Copy’ is on a lighter production side. ‘Yoko Ono’ carries this casual, easy-listening vibe up until the song's very end. The last 30 seconds of the track dive into these deep electric guitars, creating this feeling of taking a plunge or receiving horrendous news. The instrumental pairs well with Makana XO’s reserved and almost daunting vocals, definitely setting the album up for its first major musical transition.
These first five songs off Blush all leave me with a similar taste in my mouth as if they’re somewhat cohesive and related in some way. All the tracks feel safe and calm, something digestible for the bulk of listeners, regardless if you’re a Kevin Abstract fan, or someone checking out Blush due to the collaborations. However, I do believe that for some people, the notion of the tracks being ‘too similar’ sonically could deter them from enjoying the rest of the project as they’ll want to tap out early, not expecting any variety from here. However, I would describe what Abstract has done here as playing to the artist's strengths. It can be a difficult task to create collaborative bodies of work with so many artists of different calibres, so to hit a cohesive note both within the individual songs and within a tracklist perspective should be seen as a major win, and a highlight of talent.
[ Some Of The Blush Crew via Instagram ]
When I talk about the ‘first major musical transition’ on Blush, I am of course talking about the absolute powerhouse ‘NOLA’ (Abstract, Truly Young, Love Spells, Lif3files, Drigo, JPEGMafia, Ameer Vann, Quadeca). Coming off of ‘Yoko Ono’, ‘NOLA’ is sure to give some listeners whiplash, as sonically and emotionally, these two tracks do not mesh at all. Despite this, ‘NOLA’ remains one of my favourites off the entire album. It’s chaotic, but in a perfectly organized way, as if you’re listening to a bunch of friends riff off a freestyle together. Quadeca’s production feels frantic, almost anxiety-inducing, but the contributing vocals from each artist help to ground the listener, giving them something to grip onto. JPEGMafia’s verse following Abstract's post-chorus is an absolute stand-out (It’s “high key everything to me” I’ve written in my notes), with him having this perfect understanding of what a verse on ‘NOLA’ should sound like lyrically and energy-wise. Unfortunately, the end of the track comes across as a little underwhelming and slightly out of place, as the energy just fizzles out, like a firework that crashed too early. Abstract has said that jumps like this are purposeful, so I’ll see the artistry through, but I could see others getting a sour taste from it.
‘Post Break Up Beauty’ (Abstract, Love Spells) invites us back into a mellower state as if we’re coming down from the ‘NOLA’ high. Abstract is the main vocalist on this track, having his moment in the spotlight for the first time on Blush. ‘Post Break Up Beauty’ is bound to be a universal hit, with the song being downright angelic and enjoyable to all parties tapping into Blush, no acquired taste needed. Listening to this track, you can picture yourself having climbed out your bedroom window onto a roof, lying down against the rough texture and stargazing. It’s warm, you’re with good company (though you’re not looking at them), and maybe you’re a little high, just enough to have this moment of reflection on everything that’s been building up. ‘Post Break Up Beauty’ is beautiful, and if you’re going to listen to one song off Blush, let it be this one.
[ Via Instagram ]
Earlier, I mentioned how I believe some tracks off Blush are related. Well, in my eyes ‘97 Jet’ (Abstract, Love Spells) youngest sibling to the brooding duo of ‘Post Break Up Beauty’ and ‘Text Me’. There’s something about all of these three songs that screams family, not because they necessarily relate conceptually, but because of how Abstract formatted the album, and the listening experience that comes from that. ‘97 Jet’ is a song that has a lot of individual standout lyrics that I find myself thinking of throughout the day. “Arguing's a love language to me, Especially 'cause you get to hear my voice for free” and “You can't be that cold, right? You know that Houston barely ever see a cold night?” are the two that are the most prominent, mainly because of how they’re sung, hitting a different inflection than other sentences. Abstract and Love Spells have voices that blend seamlessly together, forming this satisfying contrast that I just cannot get enough of as someone who’s always latching onto unique vocal performances and pairings.
‘Text Me’ (Abstract, Sekou) is one of those tracks you may brush over at first, but return to it a little later on and be completely blown away by its sheer emotional weight. ‘Text Me’ tells the story of someone from your past, a person who may have done you wrong, calling to apologize for the mistake that they’ve made. Unfortunately for everyone, they aren’t trying to truly change as a person, making their call come across as them just trying to clear their conscious. This person doesn’t actually care about any damage they’ve done, whether it be in the past or by making this call now, leaving Abstract to repeatedly plead “You could have just texted me”. A text is often easier to ignore, and in return opens the wound less. While the entire track is striking, I’m particularly fond of the chorus, both as it’s heavily relatable context-wise, and as I love a little reference to religion, especially in a non-traditional sense.
Blush had one single released before the album, that being ‘Geezer’ (Abstract, Dominic Fike). ‘Geezer’ feels like the drive to a beach, but not a ‘travel destination’ beach. I think of it being more local, like a beach on a lake or a campsite. The sand is mixed with mud, and there's always a little kid crying too loud, but you and your friends make the drive anyway because it’s tradition, something you’ll never break. A lot of this feeling does come from the instrumentation, especially the guitars, as they have this clear Dominic Fike influence. ‘Geezer’ specifically sounds like a b-side off Fike’s 2023 project Sunburn, which I don’t necessarily mind, as Abstract’s vocals still flow naturally on the track, not feeling out of place or if he’s the featured artist on Fike’s song. This duo’s chemistry is strong, and I hope we see more of their collaborations play out on Blush 2.
‘I Wasn’t There’ is a solo-led track by DERBY, an artist who honestly threw me for a loop on my first listen. There’s a country twang that haunts this track, a musical element I did not expect from Blush at all, with most of the features predominantly falling into ‘rap’ and its adjacent genres. ‘I Wasn’t There’ could easily slide into a playlist with ‘indie-pop’ artists like Role Model and Peter McPoland, as they all have comparable vocals and often employ the same style of guitar and drum beat. I wouldn’t be shocked to see this track circulating TikTok in a few months once the rest of the world clues in, with the lyric “Thought I saw an angel, maybe I saw a ghost,” really driving the trend home.
Following ‘I Wasn’t There’ is ‘Blush Interlude’. The interlude is short and doesn’t add much musically to the project. It does, however, add an emotional weight, with ‘Blush Interlude’ sounding like you’ve just walked into what the Blush ‘studio’ may have sounded like. While the album could do without it, I think the interlude is a good way to encapsulate and honour the creation and environment of Blush, as with the revolving nature of Blush’s cast and crew, we may never have all these artists together on a single project again.
‘Maroon’ welcomes back Dominic Fike, this time for a solo track. I’ve always found Fike to be an addictive singer, as there’s a way words roll off his tongue that strikes me as beautifully unusual. ‘Maroon’ finds this perfect balance both in the way Fike chooses to divide his vocals up (between a faster-paced rap flow and his singing voice) and the way he approaches lyricism. There are a few coy and near ‘childish’ lyric choices (“I used to have a crush on you”) with some heavier hitters sprinkled in between that give listeners some insight into who Fike may have been growing up. With Fike choosing to steer his track towards this idea of self-reflection, both on his past life and possible former ‘relationship’, ‘Maroon’ strays away from coming across as again, like a b-side of Sunburn and instead forms into something that is so innately Blush.
‘Pop Out’ (Abstract, Love Spells, Ameer Vann, Drigo, E Bleu, Devan Manley) switches gears and heads back into melodic rap territory after a brief break in ‘indie city’. Similarly to ‘NOLA’, ‘Pop Out’ is a track that is loaded to the brim with different artists, all of whom contribute a verse. Once more, I’m blown away by the cohesive nature of ‘Pop Out’, as I could not imagine it’s easy to find voices that work together so well. My favourite part of ‘Pop Out’ comes towards the end, a very simple line that I didn’t clock immediately, but once I did put a little smile on my face. Devan Manley sings “Like I'm Trixie, I keep that stick tucked”, which I can only assume is a reference to the famous Drag Queen, Trixie Mattel, who to me is a complete icon. Now all we need is for her to cosign Blush.
I thoroughly apologize to anyone else featured on ‘Girlfriend’ (Abstract, Drigo, Love Spells, Truly Young), for I am just completely enamoured by Truly Young beyond anyone else who contributed to that track. Her voice is a complete standout not just on ‘Girlfriend’, but on Blush in its entirety. Truly Young's voice is both bold, enunciated, and powerful, but also very feminine, capturing a gorgeous duality, something we don’t get to see as the majority of Blush’s vocalists are men. ‘Girlfriend’ appears to begin deescalating Blush, opening the doors for ‘Bloom’ (Abstract, Love Spells, Ameer Vann) to be the official ‘wind down’ track. ‘Bloom’ shifts away from anything too hyper or brash, easing listeners into a steady and relaxed ending. As I’ve said countless times by now, I’m charmed by Love Spells’ voice, and I am so desperate to know how one person can sound so ethereal so casually.
‘Abandon Me’, Quadeca’s solo song, appeared to be one of the most sought-after tracks off Blush. A few hours after it hit streaming with the rest of Blush, I saw a few people saying that ‘Abandon Me’ is one of Quadeca’s best pieces of work. While I do believe the artist has a few tracks that are better suited for this honour, ‘Abandon Me’ has this undeniable and intense emotional pull that stems from both the lyrics and the poignant and near-isolating production. The track plays around with the idea of finding it hard to believe that you deserve someone's presence and love in your life as you’re used to everyone else fleeing at the first sign of danger. The way ‘Abandon Me’ is put together is extremely moving, and given the right circumstances, could easily bring a listener to tears.
Blush comes to an end with ‘Red Light’ (Abstract, Quadeca, Ameer Vann). There’s something very ordinary about the track, nothing too triumphant or showy like what you’d see on a usual album closer. Personally, I would have swapped it with ‘Abandon Me’ in the tracklist order, as the energy shift from ‘Bloom’ to ‘Red Light’ into ‘Abandon Me’ would have been slightly less awkward, and perhaps a little more impactful from a listeners perspective. Although I have my qualms, I do think ‘Red Light’ is a strong track on its own. Quadeca’s production is heavily noticeable here, with the use of strings, drums, and even a saxophone at one point. I also find myself enjoying how each individual verse plays with the “Hundred Times” repeat rather than being drastically different than one another, as too often now I see artists contributing nonsense verses that don’t match thematically.
‘Red Light’, and Blush as a whole, ends with a simple “Blush” hanging in the air. A one-syllable word that, for this project, feels both like a conclusion and a beginning.
Now that Blush is finally here, what does this mean for the album? For the collective?
Well, at the moment, Abstract has begun teasing Blush 2, an album that is rumoured to possibly start being teased in a couple of months. Though we have no idea what the roster will look like, we know that The Kid Laroi will be featured on the project, among plenty of other artists who missed their shot at Blush the first time around. In a now-deleted Instagram story, Abstract also described Blush as being seasonal, though did not specify if that means we’ll get an album per season, or if Blush will follow the rules of fashion where you have a Spring/Summer collection and a Fall/Winter Collection.
As for a tour, there are no concrete plans for a Blush Tour, as Abstract's dream for a tour seems like a logistical nightmare. He would want to have the entire Blush crew at every single show, allowing the album to be performed in its prime form. Until that can be worked out, Abstract is starting small, playing a handful of Texas Shows (all of which have been free), and building out from there. You can keep up to date with all the Blush Events HERE.
STREAM BLUSH HERE.
FOLLOW THE OFFICIAL BLUSH INSTAGRAM HERE.
KEEP UP WITH KEVIN ABSTRACT
Sources: 10 Minutes With Kevin Abstract by headphoneemoji
