Dijon – Baby

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The sophomore album from Baltimore, Maryland-based R&B artist, Dijon, Baby feels like a force of nature. The record is equal parts a concept record, since it largely reflects on him becoming a first-time father, as much as it is an exploration of the power of soul/gospel, all put on blend in a stunning concoction. The LP was largely self-produced by Dijon, with a few collaborations from Andrew Sarlo, BJ Burton, and a frequent Dijon collaborator in Mk.gee. Dijon intricately weaves in old school hip-hop samples, stellar production, and a soulful, almost-gospel esque approach to his vocal performance that transcends genre lines along the way. Baby was released with no preceding singles, and is meant to be listened to from front to back to fully absorb what Dijon created here. Sophomore albums typically don’t blow away the competition as much as what Dijon has accomplished here, and the widespread critical acclaim of Baby is 100% justified. Dijon offers a mesmerizing combination of experimental hip-hop, rap, soul and R&B, in one of this year’s best albums to date.

After the opening bars of “Baby!”, that begin with the repeated lyric of “baby, baby, baby” in the form of a sample, Dijon swoons over an acoustic guitar as he adds his trademark croon over the mixture of samples paired with slick production elements, and an all-time great vocal performance. This opener sets the tone for the rest of the record, and showcases the influences Dijon has picked up along his lifetime, that has included opening for artists like Bartees Strange, Bon Iver, and Boygenius. “Another Baby!” kicks things into a new gear with some well-infused samples over a rhythmic vocal cadence from Dijon that reminded me a bit of the blend of sounds used on The Night Game’s 2021 album, Dog Years. No one really does this type of music as well as Dijon is doing here, and his vocal performance is up there with some all-time greats in today’s scene, like The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar, as his star shines just as bright.

”HIGHER!” is a soulful take on gospel music, as Dijon bounces over the carefully struck piano chords, and his vocal performance continues to impress, as he goes from a croon to a wail with ease. The near-interlude of “(Freak It)” is the shortest song in the set, but it’s creative blend of vocals paired with atmospheric elements prevents it from being a forgotten moment in Baby. The key song of “Yamaha” follows with some 80’s-esque keyboards/synths, in a magical walk-through of classic R&B moments in time, paired with a sound fully entrenched in today’s style of music dominating the airwaves. It plays out like a familiar sound that you feel like you’ve heard before, but it’s simply done better than most artists attempts to replicate this type of vibe.

”FIRE!” lives up to its name, as Dijon blazes over a cool blend of piano strokes, DJ samples, and another great vocal performance that largely relies on the power behind this artist’s vocal takes that blur through genre lines. It’s easy to buy into the hype of this artist, as he’s making music that is relatable, while simultaneously impossible to replicate. “(Referee)” breaks up some of the heavily-sampled material with another brief interlude that highlights the range of Dijon’s dynamic vocal performance, while “Rewind” once again relies on an acoustic guitar and blues guitar for another great ballad about wanting to revisit the “good ol’ days,” or to take back the words we can’t unsay. “my man” follows in the sequencing with some cool, experimental atmospheric elements brought into the fold, as Dijon cements his status as one of the best vocal performers to storm the R&B scene in quite some time. “loyal & marie” is a vulnerable song about reflection and love, as Dijon opens with, “At the red light ruining my head and lips about Marie / Another late night running both ends / It gets to me / Sort it out for Marie / She’ll cut a rug / She’s the ’89 dancing queen / Takes a wrecking ball to figure out if she needs me / After wrecking ball, I’ll figure out if she’ll leave me.” The homages to both the past and present don’t fall on deaf ears, as Dijon weaves through his exploration of music history with veteran ease.

”Automatic” continues to find Dijon impressing in his vocal performance, while he adds in some great artistic/atmospheric elements to the fold that swallow the listener in a “headphone must” wall-of-sound moment. “Kindalove” closes out the opus that is Baby, and it evens bring the listener back to the opening bars of “Baby!” with its final gasp of sound, much like a reminder to reach for the repeat button on this stunning work of art. Dijon is truly an artist’s artist: he understands the rich past of the work that has come before him but is not one to settle in purely being reflective of music history; instead, Dijon rapidly approaches his A-lister artist status with a career-defining moment of his own on Baby.

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