Proudly representing the greater DMV area (that triangulation between the Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia), but now living in Los Angeles, 301icon brings his mission to his sound, that fully blends Afro-pop, trap music, and R&B. His new single and video, ‘Love Songs’, from his 2022 set, ‘Broken Lover II’, is a powerful example of his emotional approach to music, and fully expresses the almost bipolar nature of a romantic breakup.
Quite literally, 301icon is a man on a mission. The son of two worship directors, he was immediately seen to have an affinity with music, learning piano at the age of 4, and playing in church by the time he was 9. It was his first heartbreaks however that showed him how to express and heal his emotions, as well as overcome mental trauma.
These early lessons have served him well, and today he is out on a journey to break the restrictions of genre, to overcome the traditional boundaries of musical styles, in order to more fully express human feeling. He does this in two ways – his main brand celebrates life and encourages healing and growth, while his alter-ego, which is seen throughout his ‘Broken Lover’ tracks, gives his listeners permission to live more openly through difficult emotions like heartbreak, anger, and grief.
And clearly, people are listening. 301icon is taking his adopted city of Los Angeles by storm, winning the Grammy week “Something Dope” competition, a few weeks after he moved there. He’s going places, and we’re proud to be supporting him from the ground floor up before he ascends to his rightful place in the stars.
‘Love Song’s sees 301icon flex the intensity of his emotions over a muted trap beat and other, swirling instrumentals. His stream of consciousness flow should be the envy of all emcees, both established and aspiring. It’s a track that takes a few listens before you can get the full measure of it, and even then you’ll be discovering something new each time you play.
Just like the song, the music video for ‘Love Songs’, directed by Errand Boy and produced by Rèmi Fréyo, is multi-layered and deserves a few views. We see 301icon laying on a sofa, a neon heart framing him, as he sings out his pain. We soon find the source of those raw emotions – in cutscenes his unfaithful lover is caught on camera by a friend who sends the pics to 301icon. The lover takes him to an interrogation room, where he is beaten by a crew of women, faceless and anonymous. The clip conveys the message that when your lover is unfaithful, you realise you truly don’t know who they are, and all you feel is pain. 301icon’s solution? Sing it out, and then move on, because you don’t need such toxicity weighing you down when you’re on your way to being the next big thing.
Watch the music video for ‘Love Songs’ below and find out more about 301icon and his music online on his official website, Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, and TikTok.
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