"Bentley Keys" is something that is a musical experience in and of itself
Photo Credit: Jen Garcia
Words by Zakriya Mohammed (University College London)
Lyfe Harris has been delivering consistent chilled, sultry R&B tracks for all his listeners to enjoy and kick back to. With the hot 2020 releases of “Since We’re Here”, “Too Many Ways” and “Hamptons”, we have been able to enjoy all the artistic ingenuity of Harris, in an otherwise pretty lousy year. We are, however, all in for another big treat as Lyfe Harris’ new single “Bentley Keys” is ready and fresh out of the recording studio, ready for us to inspect and appreciate all that the Atlanta native rapper has to offer.
We have been accustomed to the chilled, hazy vibe and aura that Lyfe Harris breathes into his music, but with “Bentley Keys” we can see a slightly different element to the multi-talented artist. On Harris’ previous tracks his vocals and the beat mesh together in a singular, soft sound which is often a perfect melody of trap soul goodness. When Harris spoke to RESPECT MAG, earlier this year he stated “I like anything with a melody I can convey and be more creative that way”. With “Bentley Keys” we can see that his creativity is really coming to shine, as the track shows more of an upbeat, hoppy tone to Harris’ vocals, which works layered to the beat, rather than as one to it.
Photo Credit: Jen Garcia
Most artists stick to one way of doing things and master it, some are able to mix it up, but very few do it well. Lyfe Harris is of the latter, as “Bentley Keys” is proof that his artistic abilities are well-founded across all elements of R&B, as the track is more attuned to softer R&B tones, rather than the dark, hazy vibes of his previous work. Lyfe Harris fans and those new to the artist will not be disappointed by the new track “Bentley Keys”, as rather than seeing it as a dynamic shift from the artists usual music, it is just another knife in the drawer of Harris’ painstakingly creative ingenuity.
One thing to really love about “Bentley Keys” is that we really become one with Harris’ vocals in the song, which is something that is a musical experience in and of itself. The vocals are both a throwback and a modern rendition, as they are almost a hybrid of a T-Pain and a Bryson Tiller, as Lyfe Harris seems to eloquently blend the voices of both eras together, in a smooth, sharp, silky voice.
“Bentley Keys”, is going to be a welcome addition to the latest R&B releases, as we saw the maverick trap soul artist Bryson Tiller release his “Anniversary” album earlier this month, it is looking like a season of trap soul heaven. Fans of Lyfe Harris could have even more to see this month, as the artist has teased the visuals of his single “Hamptons”, which could be set to release this month also.
2020 has been a great year for Lyfe Harris, with a bunch of singles, a fresh EP and a lot of creative development from the 22 year old rapper. The year still has two months to go, and knowing Lyfe Harris, the best is yet to come.