Colin Drew makes his mark on the R&B/pop field with “747.”
STREAM
TOP 5 SONGS
5. CAN WE DO IT?
Careful, this song might be overly addictive.
“Can We Do It?” is a great introduction to the rest of 747. There’s a reason this is Colin Drew’s most popular song on Apple Music. It starts off slow, but that’s his way of getting his audience prepared for what’s to come. Things quickly pick up, and once it does, this morphs into one of the songs that I couldn’t stop listening to (I don’t think you’ll be able to once you press play on it either).
4. COINCIDENCE
Woah, throwback.
Despite the fact that it was put out this year, “Coincidence” stands out on the tracklist because it sounds like a song from the 90s. Colin Drew captures the combination of smooth/sultry yet lively vibes that some songs seemed to have lost.
3. PURPLE SKIES
Ending with a bang!
Which is exactly what Colin Drew did on the last track of his album. He ended it with a song that sums up the energy from the entire project. In addition to displaying his lyrical abilities, it made me wish there were more than ten songs.
2. HUNDRED THOUSAND SORRYS
This is the blueprint for the modern-day apology song.
Colin Drew sounds like he put his actual heart into this song. That, or he really had somebody he needed to apologize to. On a serious note, this is the song where Colin Drew showcases his talent. He has the ability to make the audience feel his emotion through the combination of his vocals and the beat.
1. LAST TIME YOU CALLED
Colin Drew shows his class on “Last Time You Called.”
From the second the song started, I was hooked. It’s only the third song on the album but it differentiates itself from the first two with the initial guitar chords. That being said, the true stars of the track are the bass chord and Colin Drew’s voice. They are the perfect partners in crime and they work together to murder the song.
SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN
1. 747 (3/5)
2. CAN WE DO IT? (4/5)
3. LAST TIME YOU CALLED (5/5)
4. RED LIGHT GREEN LIGHT (3/5)
5. 13 HOUR FLIGHT (3/5)
6. DST INTERLUDE (3/5)
7. HUNDRED THOUSAND SORRYS (4/5)
8. IT ALL MAKES SENSE (4/5)
9. COINCIDENCE (5/5)
10. PURPLE SKIES (5/5)
RGM GRADE
(A)
For a debut album, I was thoroughly impressed with Colin Drew and surprised to know that, at least on Apple music, he doesn’t have any other released albums, EPs, or songs. Even though he is just starting out, Colin gives a masterclass on range throughout this entire album. He displays his ability to use different styles of beats and his knowledge of how he needs to manipulate his vocals in a way that makes each song sound different while the entire album remains cohesive.
Colin Drew is expanding and recreating what pop music is. It is more inclusive and tailored to what catches the attention of young adults who enjoy pop music but want a sound that differentiates itself. Throughout the songs, the people who I suspect to be Colin Drew’s influences – Miguel, to name one – are easy to hear, from the beats he uses to the switches within the songs from slower melodies to quicker-paced ones. Despite that, he makes each of his songs uniquely his own.
You may not know his name now, but I don’t think it’ll be long before he’s a fan favorite. Check Colin Drew out while you still can.
Saschael is a Brooklyn native, and currently a senior English major at Howard University. In her free time she enjoys reading, cooking, baking, being in nature and writing short stories and novels.
