StreamLINE EP Feature: Devyn Hines – “Stay Humble” (Indie/Hip-Hop/Pop/Rap)
StreamLINE MUSIC BLOG REVIEW - DEVYN HINES - STAY HUMBLE
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Singer, songwriter and rapper Devyn Hines is a recording artist with a tremendous upside as the 20-year old is a burgeoning figure on the music landscape since his debut effort last year titled “Lonely Child”.
Devyn carries a distinct style with his artistry which is an appealing hybrid of pop and rap, and in some aspects, has undertones of indie pop/rock. The genre-bending sound and versatility he displays with his vocals puts Devyn a step above when discussing young up-and-coming talents out now. When he sings, he flawlessly pulls off melodious phrases and hits notes across the vocal range while also delivering his rap flows with a commanding presence, replete with a raw authenticity.
Following up his debut with another release and music video “Walk Away”, the Houston-born phenom has catapulted his name amongst his contemporaries, garnering local success and notoriety. Seeking to capitalize on this surging wave of momentum and interest, Devyn has dropped a groundbreaking 7-track EP titled “Stay Humble”, which also includes the two previously released singles.
This EP is a seminal mark in Devyn’s career in many ways as of course, it’s his first project of this length, however, more importantly, the EP symbolizes the personal and professional growth Devyn has experienced resulting from the dark period of trials and tribulations which marked his life a year back.
The title of the EP itself is an attestation to that as Devyn suffered through a prolonged period of delusional self-aggrandizing and a misplaced sense of self that became detrimental in the long run…..henceforth the reminder to “Stay Humble” .
Each song on “Stay Humble” is a testament to that period, a time of introspection and gives the listener a glimpse into not only the artist, but who Devyn is as a person. The lyrical content is deep, provocative and Devyn holds nothing back when describing the intimate details of his life. The EP touches on a wide variety of topics such as mental health, anxiety, isolation, relationships addiction to name a few.
The soundscape of the EP possesses the alternative style blend of rap and pop mentioned above for the most part. The production features booming hip-hop inspired drum patterns and booming bass lines, more similar to trap, while flaunting a harmonious assortment of catchy melodies and pop like guitar riffs/phrases.
“Walk Away” departs from that signature sound somewhat as it takes on a form that’s more ballad-like, featuring a wistful grand piano in the instrumentation while “Lonely Child” can easily be categorized as an alt-pop/rock track with its blistering lead guitar and percussion section.
The Stay Humble EP is available on all streaming platforms and you can listen to the provocative collection of tracks via the Spotify link below. Make sure to save the project to your Favorites Library for quick access and stream these songs on repeat…drop them in your top playlists as well!
Scroll further below to connect with Devyn via his social media platforms and also check out the More About section as Devyn was gracious to share some incredibly insightful details how these songs come together, the impact of the EP on him and the intensely personal nature of each of these tracks. I suggest reading it as it will provide you even more context into the lyrical concept of these songs.
Listen to the “Stay Humble” EP on Spotify
More About the “Stay Humble” EP
Stay Humble is an EP that’s very personal to me. Through the ups and downs of trying to establish a career it was hard to see what I was doing wrong. I lost all grasp of reality in the pursuit of my career and image. The term “make it” was so detrimental to me and it influenced my very being of existence. I was living in a false reality for months. It got to the point where people were afraid to speak to me. And others would gaslight me for being the way that I was. A year ago from now it would’ve been very unlikely to see me without shades, an entourage, and cameras on me every time I stepped outside. The lifestyle got to my head. It damaged my character and understanding of the reality I lived in or created. It led me to a very dark time in my life where those extreme highs turned into extreme lows and those experiences changed me as a person. I no longer need those things to feel like I “made it” All that those photo shoots and ego boosting yes-men did was push me to my own corruption. I have only gained negative experiences from living that way and have decided to stay humble since then. I then thought to myself, “that’d be a damn good title for an EP” and the rest is history. Every song on this EP plays a focal part of that experience(s) Misery Avenue explains the mindset of being in that dark place and why my mind works the way it does. In The Dark is a direct representation of what everyday was like during the fast pace lifestyle and during the heinous downfall I experienced. The second half of the EP is more focused on the positive aspects of my experiences for example The Greatest is special to me because in a delusional state that’s actually how I felt. The irony in this is that my therapist had explained to me that when going through a mental breakdown people experience feelings of being unnaturally gifted compared to others and that people feel “touched” in a way that others aren’t because everyone else just isn’t as special as them. Anytime I hear that song it takes me back to a time where I really needed help but I like that the song is received in a way that’s not so serious. People show me videos of themselves vibing out to that song and it’s kind of cool but weird at the same time. When Your Gone is a personal song because while I was in a psychiatric hospital I often thought of my own demise and what that would be like. My mentality is expressed very well on that song and I’m extremely proud of it. This EP is basically my life a year ago.
– Devyn Hines
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