Toronto-based singer-songwriter Daniel Caesar released his debut studio album, “Freudian,” in 2017. The love child of deep gospel choruses and smooth R&B melodies, the album pinpoints the nexus between traditional and contemporary. Caesar explores love, heartbreak and self-reflection through his emotional lyricism and velvety vocals.
Caesar joins forces with R&B singer-songwriter Kali Uchis on the album’s first track, “Get You,” as the two set the mood with their critically acclaimed love ballad. The track, driven by punchy basslines and provocative harmonies, is Caesar’s love letter to love itself: “‘Get You’ is a song of praise to a love I didn’t even feel I deserved at the time,” Caesar said in an interview with “Billboard.” “Being with someone you truly adore and being present enough in the moment that the world literally slows down and you ask yourself how did I stumble into this?” The irresistible instrumentation and electric chemistry between the two singers quickly earned the track a quadruple platinum certification from the RIAA as it became the album’s lead single.
As the album unwinds, tracks like “Best Part,” featuring Academy Award-winning singer-songwriter H.E.R., and “Hold Me Down” continue to delve into Caesar’s relationship with love. Once again, we see the album’s exciting interplay between modern R&B grooves and venerable gospel arrangements at work. Music critic Briana Younger added, “Caesar’s balance between sacred elements and secular sentiment is what sets him apart.” And that’s exactly what’s so appealing about “Hold Me Down”: the sensual, raw lyrics dance with pious choir vocals to create a striking blend of lust and spiritual harmony — a balance that Caesar has mastered.
While Caesar soulfully captures all the highs of love with breathtaking nuance, “Freudian” wouldn’t be complete without love’s lows. The soul-searching “We Find Love” embraces the pain of lost love as Caesar sings over a melancholic piano progression. Hurt by love and sore with remorse, Caesar returns to cathedral pews as he grapples with heartbreak.
Although the album is closed with the title song, “Freudian,” it bears the climax of the story. The final half of the song follows a three-minute interlude of complete silence, bisecting the track into two separate pieces. The silent intermission was a somewhat controversial inclusion amongst critics, but there’s no denying that the track’s second episode is worth the wait. Caesar’s smooth and soothing voice glides over the silence, chanting, “Isn’t it nice? Human Sacrifice.” Following this moment of reflection, the artist now weighs the mortal consequences of love. Considering the fatality of heartbreak, an older, wiser Caesar now looks at love through an introspective lens. He ends the album by reflecting on unhealthy cycles and emotional instability — a process the singer feels he must go through in order to love again.
Overall, “Freudian” is an exceptional debut that showcased Daniel Caesar’s remarkable talent for storytelling. It’s an album that resonates deeply with its audience, offering comfort and solidarity through the complex emotions that come with love. Whether you’re in love, heartbroken, or somewhere in between, “Freudian” is an album that speaks to the soul.
