Smooth: Daniel Caesar attends the ‘Never Enough’ album listening session at The Academy in Toronto, Canada, in March. Photo: Robert Okine/Getty Images
When Daniel Caesar announced he was releasing a new album I was apprehensive about listening to it. If you have been living under a social media rock, the Canadian singer was “cancelled” in March 2019 after defending his friend, influencer YesJulz (real name Julieanna Goddard), who came under fire for posting a T-shirt with “Niggas lie a lot” plastered on it.
On an Instagram Live video, Caesar urged people to cancel him, telling them he was drunk and claiming people were being unfair to his friend.
“Why are we being so mean to Julz? Why are we being so mean to white people right now? That’s a serious question.
“Why is it that we’re allowed to be disrespectful and rude to everybody else and when anybody returns any type of energy to us. That’s not equality. I don’t wanna be treated like I can’t take a joke,” he said.
“White people have been mean to us in the past, yeah, but what are you going to do about it? Tell me what you’re going to do about that? There’s no answer, other than creating and understanding and keeping it moving. You have to bridge that gap,” he shouted during the Instagram Live.
The ignorant remarks shared that night put him on the list of “cancelled” celebrities. He shot himself in the foot with that one but, let’s be honest, he was served the heat he deserved for not comprehending the gravity of racism in an era where black lives do matter because they haven’t and continue not to.
However, I gave his latest project Never Enough an ear and, I hate to admit it, it’s a beautiful, emotive body of work.
Caesar’s third studio album, released on 7 April follows 2019’s Case Study 01. He’s stuck to the recipe he knows works for him — ballads about heartbreak, love and relationships.
Never Enough is sultry and smooth — a classic R&B album that emphasises what I’ve always appreciated about his music. The 28-year-old shows emotive wisdom beyond his years, which contributed to his rise to fame with EPs Praise Break (2014) and Pilgrim’s Paradise (2015).
The violin, strings and drums on Pain is Inevitable are intense and electrifying, emotionally triggering in the best way.
It’s one of those albums that has potential to age well, like an exceptional bottle of wine. However, it’s difficult to separate the art from the artist, especially as a black woman. Forgiving is one thing but supporting his music is quite another. But, make no mistake, the album is a wonderful body of work. — Bongeka Gumede
You know that feeling when you finally meet up with a good friend after you haven’t seen each other for a while? You start talking, hours go by and it turns out you have been experiencing similar things. Never Enough gave me that exact feeling. Daniel Caesar’s new album is a meaningful journey of life.
It’s his first album with Republic Records and follows 2019’s Case Study 01. It has already taken the number two spot on Billboard’s Top R&B Albums chart, making it his most successful album to date.
This album feels easy, cosy and authentic to who Caesar is as an artist. He doesn’t hide behind grand melodies and musical forms — every song holds its own and the purity of his natural voice shines through the lyrics.
The Best Part singer has always been able to convey a message in a soulful, vulnerable and truthful way and this album is no exception.
Never Enough is a journey that portrays even the most everyday life experiences in a vividly beautiful manner. There is no hidden meaning or puzzle to figure out because each song carries a strong theme in a direct way.
As a young adult who has loved, who has wondered about my place in people’s lives, who has been incapable of being there for others at times, and who has experienced different types of pain, Never Enough feels like an amalgamation of all of these experiences.
Don’t get me wrong, this album is not sad but reflective about all these situations, making me feel seen, like I am not alone.
It’s as if Caesar is taking us through his journey, how he processes things like loving someone even though they are no longer together, but still wanting them to know they will always have his heart.
He takes us on a roller coaster ride of emotions from professing his love on Valentina, to wanting to move on in Let Me Go.
And there is the subtle, yet potent, theme of time and Caesar’s awareness of time lost, his regrets and reflections about his childhood, and past relationships, and realising how limited time is and wanting to try new things. We see this in songs such as Disillusioned, Shot My Baby and Pain is Inevitable.
This album is a perfect balance of Caesar’s signature love and heartbreak songs and a dash of experimenting through instrumental layering, voice work and rap verses.However, taking a page out of SZA’s latest album SOS, where we saw her go into pop and other genres, would have taken this work to another level. For future albums, I would like to see Caesar push outside his R&B haven into different genres to show his versatility as an artist. — Zimkhita Kweza