As I’ve written in the past, I’ve always found the idea of a “debut album” to be a daunting one. It’s an artist’s first chance to tell a full-length story from start to end, and often times, it takes the temperature for two things — one, what an artist’s “sound” is and where it’s headed in the future, and two, whether or not an artist can truly communicate a story or theme in a way that can keep listeners engaged for a prolonged amount of time. Here to check off both boxes and then some, Boominati artist SwaVay is here with his long-awaited debut album, Pure Infinity.
Three years in the making, Pure Infinity not only allows SwaVay to come to terms with himself and his emotions, but it also soundtracks a 3+ year fight for the Atlanta artist to make it to where he is today. In such a way, the album is a compilation of tremendous ups and heart-wrenching downs, all of which hold value in the transformation of an incredibly talented artist and even more thoughtful, reflective, and grounded human. It’s a chance for SwaVay to let out everything he’s had under wraps for a few years now, and even more importantly, it’s a chance for him to create a soundtrack for each and every aspect of his life, from love to success, business, and what it all really means.
With this in mind, Pure Infinity seems to work well due, in part, to its cohesivity, both in sound and in lyricism. Not only is the production here second to none, ranging from hard-hitting tracks (“Audio Games”) to soulful cuts (“2nd Childhood”) and even smoother, R&B-esque sounds (“Like We Used To“), but each song takes a different thematic direction only to come back and make perfect sense with the progression of the whole. SwaVay weaves and twists throughout subjects with immense precision and pure authenticity, airing things out while making sure to communicate why each of these incredible stories deserves to be the subject of a song.
And while I could ramble on about this album all day long, I suppose the only way for me to try and encapsulate what Pure Infinity means to me is to say that SwaVay is finally here. Lord knows that he had to jump through a million hoops and constantly fight for his own creativity to make it here, but regardless, he finally made it through, and the result is one of my favorite projects of 2019 so far.
In a world of rap that has largely shifted away from albums and moved toward forgettable singles that look to capture quick virality, Pure Infinity is a breath of fresh air from an artist who truly has an unbelievable story to tell. SwaVay isn’t next, he’s now — just stream the new album below for proof!
Personal Favorites: “Final Fantasy,” “2 AM,” “One, Two Step,” “Stargirl”