Luigui Bleand Drops New Single

Hip-hop’s international stage is bigger than ever and still growing, and if you look at the success and buzz surrounding players like the Dominican Republic’s own Luigui Bleand, it’s easy to see what all of the fuss is about. Bleand’s style of rapping blends the melodic with the charismatically aggressive, and in his new single “Gomelo,” he attempts to demonstrate why balancing between two aesthetics is so critical to the development of a new era in hip-hop. There’s scarcely a moment in which his linguistic strengths aren’t the main focus here, and whether you speak Spanish or not, his tuneful harmonies and sharply-delivered lyrics have a way of having the same meaningful impact on anyone who happens to be within earshot of these beats. 

This groove is downright smooth, and it’s not manufactured with a predictable bassline that drags the drums behind it. I get the impression that Luigui Bleand is the kind of player who wants to sideline conventionality when possible for the sake of facilitating a functional hook that mixes elements of R&B, reggae, Latin pop, and a touch of old school hip-hop into the same cocktail of swagger, and here, he’s really showing us everything he’s got as an experimentalist. I would have liked a little less percussive focus towards the chorus, but I suppose in the grander scheme of things this is a very forgivable transgression on his part. The beat is still solid, not to mention inviting us closer and closer with each passing verse. 

These lyrics aren’t an afterthought next to the rhythm of the drums at all, but instead, do something to craft the emotional core of the music in a way that the other instrumental components in the mix simply can’t. Bleand isn’t a rapper who just wants to flex and flash stacks of cash in our face when he’s constructing a poetic centerpiece to his music, and if there was any doubt about his depth in this department, I think it’s going to collectively dissipate with the release of “Gomelo” this spring. This is someone who takes the conceptualism of his composing as seriously as he does any element of his performing, and although this might be the standard in his scene at the moment, it isn’t the case for the mainstream at all. 

To me, “Gomelo” is the most instrumentally-heavy piece to come out of this player’s underground circuit all year long, and if it’s indicating to us what Luigui Bleand is going to be dishing out from the studio throughout 2022, he’s going to find himself scoring more and more accolades outside of the Dominican Republic. The demand for this kind of a crossover is getting intense, especially stateside, and although his scene is blowing up with interest from across the globe, I have a feeling that American audiences are going to be especially inclined to like what they’re going to hear in “Gomelo” this March. Bleand is an impressive deliverer, and he’s letting us have the full scope of his skills in this performance. 

Michael Rand 

The music of Luigui Bleand has been heard all over the world in partnership with the radio plugging services offered by Musik and Film Radio Promotions Division.  Learn more https://musikandfilm.com