Jeremih: "Oui"

Three years ago, Jeremih dropped Late Nights, a quietly career-redefining mixtape that would inspire his white whale of a third album, a proper release perpetually just out of reach, five years since his last one. But more than anything, Late Nights is a fantasy world—a modern-day Shangri-La, perpetually lit in soft neon, where the day begins at sunset and ends at sunrise, preferably sprawled in front of an infinity pool. Each night is a cabaret, hosted by Chicago’s tempestuous R&B prince, who serenades you with barely-there fuck jams, floating at this impossible intersection between gentle and pervy, while accompanying himself on piano. Hypnotiq on tap.

Part of the allure of the Late Nights universe is the chase, of course. We were promised the album over a year ago—meanwhile, Jeremih has lent his velvet croon to half the rap game. He knows how to torture us. But now there is “Oui”—and what seems to be official album art alongside it—a song very much emblematic of the Late Nights mood. The translucent, Terius-esque pianos, the lofty harmonies. The fucking Shai interpolation! And a gentle corrective to his charmingly dick-ish “Birthday Sex” conceit: “Most of them need dollar signs to make every day your birthday.” It’s not a fireworks display or a peak-hour dancefloor filler. You sink into it. Light some candles. Summon the oracle. Late Nights season approaches.

Comments are closed.