Considering the fact that Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ next three upcoming shows are sold out, it’s no surprise that young people everywhere are counting down the days until the release of their new album, “The Heist.”
Macklemore has again paired up with rapper and producer Ryan Lewis to create their first album since their debut, “The VS.” EP, in 2010, according to The Washington Herald. The Seattle duo gave their fans a small sampling of what the album would be like, releasing three singles in the last month.
The album features a range of different artists. Allen Stone, Mary Lambert and Buffalo Madonna lend their unique sound to each track, making the album anything but monotonous. In actuality, it sometimes can be difficult to keep up with the all-over-the-map journey Macklemore leads. From tracks that carry powerful and personal experiences from Macklemore’s life to amusing, light-hearted tracks with driving rhythms and memorable one-liners, the album will fully engage the listener.
One of the more humorous tracks is the third on the album. One of three released singles and entitled “Thrift Store,” it can only be described as silly. The song opens with the voice of a little girl asking Macklemore if they can go shopping at a thrift store. With a quirky saxophone that drives the beat, sounds of jingling coins and opening cash registers, and lyrics like, “I wear your granddad’s clothes / I look incredible” this track has already become a fan favorite.
Only two tracks later, the listener will find themselves at the exact opposite end of the emotional spectrum. “Same Love” was inspired by Macklemore’s uncles, who we were in a gay relationship while he grew up. Macklemore expresses the questions he struggled with growing up and his advocacy for marriage equality.
But Macklemore and Lewis weren’t finished with this album when they finished the music. In an interview with the Seattle Times, Macklemore stated, “These days, there’s two different ways bands blow up or get big. One of those, is they make a piece of work that the critics jump on right away… and that takes it to the next level very quickly. And then there’s another way, which is organically, spreading amongst the youth.”
One way Macklemore and Lewis are attracting attention from the youth is by advertising the hard copy of their album. In an attempt to get teens away from only downloading digital copies from iTunes or Amazon, Macklemore and Lewis gave a physicality and personal design to their work.
In the trailer for the new album, Macklemore expresses that he wanted to push the album further and give the fans more by designing The Heist Deluxe Edition box set. Each box includes eighteen individual pieces of art for every song and three bonus songs only found on the deluxe edition.
If you’re craving some new hip hop beats or maybe you’ve been drawn in by the unique opportunity to unwrap Macklemore’s deluxe edition box set, either way, you should check out Macklemore and Lewis new album. It could be the next biggest thing to come out of Seattle since Starbucks.
