Logic is back — but not necessarily better than ever — with his third studio album, Everybody.
The new project from Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, released May 5, has the tough task of following up his other studio albums, Under Pressure and The Incredible True Story as well as a number of mixtapes.
The 13-song album sees Logic continue to stray from his old style as he did on the most recent of those mixtapes, Bobby Tarantino.
These different techniques include experimenting with spoken word verses on “Anziety” and R&B hooks on “Killing Spree” and “1-800-273-8255.”
The change doesn’t always work; “Black SpiderMan” feels like a mainstream pop sellout from an artist who has continuously delivered solid rap performances without succumbing to industry clichés.
But the change in his style also allows Logic to focus on the message that he is putting out in his music, creating a slew of songs with lyrics that are more likely to have an emotional impact on the listener than his older songs.
“1-800-273-8255” and “Anziety” are both centered around mental health issues, something Logic has not addressed in the past. “1-800-273-8255” — the national suicide hotline number — includes the line: “they say every life is precious but nobody cares about mine,” highlighting the fact that each person is going through their own internal struggle that’s invisible to those around them.
Mental health isn’t the only topic Logic raps about. He also reflects on his own life, including his upbringing and his identity as biracial. This fact is no secret; he has talked about it extensively in his songs before, but on Everybody, this subject shifts to the focus of some of the songs. At one point he raps, “my blood is the slave and the master,” outlining the constant struggle that he feels between his white and black heritage.
Logic also plays with religious themes. “Waiting Room” consists of God (voiced by Neil deGrasse Tyson) talking to a person named Atom. God tells Atom that over the course of time, he has been reincarnated into every human being in existence, giving a whole new meaning to the album’s title.
As an album, Everybody is somewhat representative of everyone who plays a role in Logic’s life. This is seen in the cover art, which, according to the artist Sam Spratt in an Instagram post, is inspired by Paolo Veronese’s The Wedding at Cana. Spratt’s Instagram post also says that the cover art contains over 100 people that are a part of Logic’s life, including Logic himself front and center.
Outside Neil deGrasse Tyson, the album features a number of guests spots from the likes of Alessia Cara, Khalid, Killer Mike, Ansel Elgort (yes, that Ansel Elgort) and even an uncredited J. Cole verse on the last song, “AfricAryaN”. That closing track finishes with God (again Tyson) giving more advice to Atom. God says “live your life. Don’t waste your days on the negative energy of others … No matter how big your bank account is, your grave is six feet under just like everyone else’s.”
This piece of advice cements the message that Logic is trying to get across with this album; everybody, no matter what race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or any other identification, deserves to be treated equally.
After this last piece of advice, the track cuts to another skit with one man saying to another that he is “queuing up the next album now, his final one,” implying that Logic’s next studio album will be his last.
Everybody sees Logic experimenting as an artist in terms of the content of his music. He succeeds in creating a few powerful songs on the album, but others fall short.
For the most part, the album remains true to who Logic is, creating a dynamic picture of a person who is striving to be the best that he can be.
