Roy Blair Deserves More
With under a million monthly streams on Spotify and an extensive resumé that would impress any snobby producer, Roy Blair stands as one of the most under-credited, unrecognized, and underrated artists in the indie-R&B scene. His storytelling, rise to fame and talent are the perfect ingredients to create the next big thing. So, then why isn’t he?
Roy started out as most self-made artists do—a subpar song mixing program on the family computer. One Odd Future concert later, and he was ready to get serious with it. On a family road trip, Roy made mix after mix, beat after beat, developing his personal style and sound. Coldplay, Bjork, and Radiohead inspired his every step, leading to his completely unique do-it-yourself genre. And, of course, his R&B flair came to fruition from Kanye and Kid Cudi.
Although he never officially joined the genre-bending boy band of Brockhampton, Kevin Abstract acted as a confidant, mentor, and friend to Roy as he left home for the first time to create music. Roy helped produce and even featured on some of their biggest songs like “Rental.” But, after helping Kevin with some solo projects, it was time to focus on his own path of growth.
Emerging with the single “Thunder” in 2016, Roy established himself as an artist not to be taken lightly. Those five minutes of personal lyricism coupled with far-reaching vocals drove him to well over 45 million Spotify listens. Not a huge deal for a kid just starting out, I guess. One year later brought his first and only album, Cat Heaven, an expansion and fine-tuning of his previous singles and EPs. Confidently, it can be given the esteemed title of a “No Skip” or “Few Skip” album in my book. Following the flow of the seasons as well as the life and growth of Roy himself, Cat Heaven is an autobiographical masterpiece. But, it is certainly not for everyone.
Despite the album being a reflection of Roy’s pure love for storytelling through music, the stories may appear juvenile, yet beautiful. Simple, yet artfully told. Wonderfully and perfectly young. So, the average 35-year-old may not feel the same attachment that say, an 18-year-old hopeless romantic like myself would. This, however, should not be a point used to criticize Roy’s talent, in the same way that saying Bach’s music isn’t relatable to me would not be a valid criticism. Different times, different experiences, different centuries. Those who can appreciate the attention to detail in the ad libs of each song, the purposeful knitting of themes throughout the album, and the simplistic and palatable bow it is wrapped into, understand why Roy is underrated.
Youthful and rose-colored lyrics should not be a death sentence for artists trying to make it in the indie industry. Critics pandering to the gatekeepers of indie, exile anyone whose songs may come across as even slightly pertaining to classic high school tropes, in fear of indie not being taken seriously. It doesn’t all have to be cigarettes, sugar-daddy sex, and nonsensical nu-gaze-simmer-pop-vapor-soul in the indie world. We should be able to unironically want to drive with the windows down, romanticize our shitty high school relationships, and dance to overdone love story lyrics without feeling “not different enough.”
That, unsurprisingly, is the most common criticism of Roy. Constantly compared to his Brockhampton associates, Roy seems to come out as the underdog every time. “Kevin [Abstract] does it better,” “His sound is underdeveloped compared to the other guys,” and “He has little d*ck energy,” were all actual comments about him on the Brockhampton subreddit—I know, not the best place to go for educated and calm discourse. Nonetheless, it seems that Brockhampton fans make up the majority of Blair-haters, an interesting turn of events considering the cult-like following that a majority of their members experience.
Four years have passed since Cat Heaven was released and all we have seen from Roy is a short, experimental EP jumping into the ever-surprising mix of a mellow hyperop and R&B sound. While it doesn’t nearly outshine his other music, it proves his versatility and fearlessness in exploring and fusing what inspires him at the moment, which is always a mixed bag.
Looking ahead, the future is uncertain for this talented artist. A new album could bring in a larger cult following, bigger concerts, more recognition, and maybe even a name permanently separated from his past boy-band experience and the elusive fan base that came with it. A man with no desire for immense fame and eyes only for his passion for music, Roy has set himself on the right path for a slow burn into stardom.