A modern rap star who needs no introduction, St. Laviathan has become a near-constant fixture on our pages and playlists recently, and it’s for a very good reason. A sharp talent with a keen ear for hard-hitting melodies and experimental flows, St. Laviathan has become one of the year’s most highly anticipated new talents, delivering hit after hit and constantly teasing us with the release of his debut EP. While the full EP is still a little while away, the rapper has given us another engaging glimpse into what we can expect, with new track ‘Venus’ dropping online just recently.
After beginning a shift from his more aggressive hip-hop stylings with his previous single ‘The Sum of All Fears’, St. Laviathan has taken things to a whole new level with ‘Venus’, penning an open letter to a former girlfriend. Arguably his most personal piece to date, which says a lot for the calibre of the track, ‘Venus’ was originally a far longer piece, but as St. Laviathan explained, it “was so intense during the writing process, I decided to keep it as Interlude. In crafting this piece, there were aspects of our relationship in good faith that I opted to leave out. I wanted to focus on where I acknowledged my faults and flaws were in the undoing of our relationship, and the everlasting regret I feel to this day about our ending.”
Produced by the one-and-only Whiz Capone, this new mix of ‘Venus’ is a polished slice of old school hip-hop, complete with 808 beats, dramatic synth tones, and a rapid flow that leaves no time to reflect or gain your composure. With a refrain soaked in reverb and a stream of bold, reflective lyrics, ‘Venus’ dominates and demands attention, adding a new level to the growing mythology around St. Laviathan.
While only a minute-and-a-half long, ‘Venus’ is one of those tracks that cuts to the quick, forgoing any superfluous frills and heading straight for the heart. True to his word, ‘Venus’ is St. Laviathan’s most personal and vulnerable releases to date, but he balances it perfectly with the weight and depth of the beats, controlling the conversation and ensuring that every word and every sound hits just as he intended.
When writing the track, St. Laviathan explained that “the overall message I wanted to convey here, mainly to young men, was to not be afraid to welcome in love, even if it feels too good to be true”, and that’s a damn good summation of what ‘Venus’ brings. A proud and reflective new release, ‘Venus’ sees St. Laviathan being as technically proficient as ever, but with far more heart and soul than we could have imagined.
Score: 7.5/10
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