After “Favorite Song” caught fire globally, becoming the Syracuse rapper’s highest charting single to date, Toosii builds off this excitement from his recent success, dropping his first studio album NAUJOUR on June 2.
Gaining traction in the industry in 2020 with his debut project Poetic Pain, Toosii’s melodic, raspy voice matched with rap and R&B instrumentals has made him a unique music industry member. Tracks “Sapiosexual,” “Love Cycle,” and others launched Poetic Pain to peak at number 14 on the Billboard 100, a glimpse into his skill set moving forward.
Late 2020 and early 2021 saw him generate more widespread buzz in Thank You For Believing where Toosii collaborated with DaBaby, Latto, and Key Glock, displaying his versatility by bouncing between genres. The overall hype around this project and past performances earned him a spot on the 2021 XXL Freshman List, and from there his career continued to explode.
Fast forward to 2023, Toosii’s first full-length studio album as a member of Capitol Records, NAUJOUR, hypnotizes his audience by evolving his R&B skills since his 2022 EP Boy’s Don’t Cry: Men Do.
In addition to his advanced R&B knowledge, he provides unique sample loops similar to earlier projects but acts as the foundation for more personal storytelling lyricism concerning his past.
Album Rollout and Overview
Coming in at 19 tracks, NAUJOUR‘s announcement came on May 5, 2023, via the rapper’s Instagram, while also continuously hinting at the album’s release in early 2023 through his lead singles and remixes of “Favorite Song.” Khalid and Future both appear in their own versions of the track, with Future’s being known as the “Toxic Version.”
Originally appearing on the aforementioned Boy’s Don’t Cry: Men Do before NAUJOUR, “Love Is…” utilizes a sample from Julia Michaels’ “Love Is Weird” for the project’s lead single. A vulnerable, heartbreaking song, it sticks out in Toosii’s discography as one of his more personal performances.
From track to track, we trek across his rise to stardom and come up in the highly competitive music industry, not skipping on any of the tough feats he had to endure from his childhood to the present day.
Featuring only 21 Savage, Wallo 267, Future, and Khalid, the project is a prime look into Toosii’s solo abilities and one-of-a-kind vocals that have driven him to the top of the R&B pyramid.
Standout Tracks
“Rule Number 1” kickstarts the project on a family-oriented note, opening with a voice message from his mother sending love to the rapper and disclosing core memories from his younger years.
He lists three rules for listeners to follow, going in on his past lack of trust with women, patience in waiting for his moment, and advice for future generations.
Across much of Toosii’s discography, we dive deeper and deeper into his past love life and current relationship with Samaria Davis, as the third track “Another Love Song” showcases. His struggle to find that perfect balance of love between both parties is heard through the strong vocal delivery over a catchy, melodic sample loop.
Despite the differences between Toosii and Davis, “Another Love Song” still ensures that he is there for her in the end no matter the situation.
This another love song, this another anthem, somethin’ to bawl your eyes out to, when you’re feelin’ damaged, call me, tell me you need me there, when you wasn’t carin.’
– Toosii on “Another Love Song”
Track six “Villains & Heroes” pins this past relationship as a devil, angel situation, while also describing some of his wrongdoings that cause him pain.
Another melodic sample loop lays out Toosii’s toxic lyricism towards his own actions and his partner’s as well, again a common theme when dissecting the pain of his past relationships.
Pouring pain in his voice, each R&B song touches on the longing for love and the presentation of his life experiences learned through hardship.
The stretch of “Go Go Go” and “Pull Up,” featuring 21 Savage, are fast-paced, upbeat rap performances, flaunting his capability in more than one genre.
Behind the flawless production from the well-known producer team The LoopHoles, 21 Savage and Toosii create one of the project’s most entertaining and energetic tracks. The menacing tone set by the two artists makes for a moshpit anthem for any concert crowd and is not the first one of these to sneak into Toosii’s discography.
Final Thoughts
Mixing heart and soul into his R&B tunes and intense energy into rap, Toosii’s NAUJOUR encapsulates the multi-genre talent he has been mastering for years.
On May 10, Toosii would announce his NAUJOUR Tour, a 22-city journey this Summer to showcase the rapper’s work to his fans.
Expect music videos to come along with multiple singles off the project, with Toosii already dropping a video for track four “FWLM” on the same day as the album’s release.
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