When The Weeknd came out with his mixtape House of Balloons in early 2011, R&B stars from every corner of the genre could only stop and stare at the unique sounds the young Abel Tesfaye had brought to a tiny, quietly-posted mixtape. From the aesthetics to the lyrical content, every minute detail had been carefully calculated and perfectly executed.
Since then, the once happy genre has been morphed into a whole new drugged-out, sluggish style which prompted big names like Usher to change direction, ultimately bringing together some of the darkest underground producers to work with the smoothest singers. There will never be a replacement for House of Balloons, or the whole Trilogy really, but thankfully, there have been many who have continued what the OVOXO movement started.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6DhD8YjFg0[/youtube]
CVIRO just happens to be such an artist. Hailing from Australia, the young singer has classically good looks and enough vocal talent to go all around. However, fame seems to be the farthest thing from his mind as he chooses to sing songs with a raw intensity unfound on the mainstream circuit.
The original version of "Faded" feels dark and gritty and real; the remixed version by Urban Noize, a production duo from Florida, only seems to emphasize this. The lyrics sing of a wrongful night, and the sluggish style emphasizes the drunken, slow movements of a alcohol and drug-laden scene. Taking emotional pain to a new high, CVIRO has the right attitude and talent to keep this style going for a long time.
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