"I Am Very Very Lonely"- Chance the Rapper

(From: Freshness Mag)

Last month while reviewing Chance the Rapper's "Home Studio (Back Up In This B****)" I couldn't help but use the word giddy to describe the track. With Chance namechecking Yogi Bear over goofy synth-organ and strutting funk guitar, it was near impossible to hear the song and leave without a smile. 

Yesterday to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of his breakout release Acid Rap, the Chicago-native released "I Am Very Very Lonely". If you can gather anything from the title alone, the track is a seismic market correction from "Home Studio"'s sunny vibes. For starters, the sonic cupboard is nearly bare here. Produced by Chance's touring band Social Experiment, "I Am Very Very Lonely"'s constitution is penned with a timid keyboard figure and hobbled drum beat. Other than the occasional "huh" or brief bit of "harmonizing" they're all a subdued Chance has to keep him company. So instead, he wearily croons about staying in to smoke "la cucaracha" and munch on cold pizza topped with Sriracha. It's the type of night where you get all dressed up just to post up on a couch and flip through channels until you find something to hold your attention. A weary night where you'll do "lots of activities" like "fix the dishwasher" or "file the cabinets" not to get ahead, but to avoid the present. In Chance's case he's trying to avoid dwelling on someone he severely neglected. "Shoulda had ya when I had ya, now I wish I gotcha tonight," he warbles in a tone so defeated he later manages to make Lion King sound more depressing. When the chorus finally floats away, you hope he's finally dug himself out of the couch and gone to bed. Sometimes it's the only way to push disappointments past you.

(Last week Chance the Rapper was sidelined with a case of tonsillitis and the flu, so it's great to see his back out now.)