Last we heard from Richmond, Virginia emcee Ty Sorrell was their 2022 LP HomeGrown—a record that was, by their own account, a carefree assemblage of feel-good hits primed for the jukebox (well, maybe TouchTunes). “I feel like these are the joints. If you played them back years later, they wouldn’t feel dated,” the rapper shared, speaking to the smoked-out post-cloud-rap and nu-soul explored on the Virginia-centric record.
Three years later and Sorrell returns with a record occasionally similar in sound, yet worlds apart in its introspective message. With the album’s vintage-sounding, soul-based instrumentals furnished by Profound79, that producer tag feels apt for the sense of profundity lining the songs on Return to Forever. Across these 12 tracks, Sorrell ruminates on self-realization (the record’s subtitle is A Profound Discovery) with wise observations and soul-searching reflections, all while maintaining a cool vocal cadence.
The record opens with the warm tones and smooth flow of “All on You,” which Sorrell is sharing a video for today. “‘Better Ways’ was the first song we ever made, but once we had ‘All on You’ it actually made the album fall into place—from the order and the beat selection to knowing which songs we wanted videos for,” the artist shares. “It was the perfect way to open an album that paints self-discovery as a moving, physical journey as well as a mental and symbolic one.”
Check out the visual, and stream Return to Forever here.
