Daniel Caesar delivers emotional, authentic project with ‘Never Enough’
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Up until this point, Daniel Caesar’s career has taken a fairly linear trajectory. He caught his first breaks with EPs in 2014 and 2015, and secured his first hit with 2016’s “Japanese Denim.” His debut, “Freudian,” saw Caesar become one of the biggest names in contemporary RnB overnight.
The first two tracks, “Get You” featuring Kali Uchis and “Best Part” featuring H.E.R., are the driving forces that helped “Freudian” reach platinum certification last January. His follow up in 2019 saw collaborations with titans like Pharrell Williams, John Mayer and Brandy. “CASE STUDY 01” found Caesar a place in the industry and featured a more playful instrumental palette. After “CS01,” Caesar became an in-demand feature artist, working with FKA Twigs, Lil Yachty and Justin Bieber.
Caesar’s rise in popularity meant his next album would be a pivotal test. His divine vocals had reeled the entire world in — from RnB junkies to just about anyone who turned on the radio — but he had to prove that he was more than a captivating singer.
On April 7, Caesar released his third studio album, “Never Enough,” clocking in at just under 55 minutes. The project isn’t a grand or conceptual experience, but a diverse display of Caesar’s strengths and desire to try out new styles. He stays on his home turf but still outside of his comfort zone, trying out various tempos, moods and song structures, while still remaining under the umbrella of RnB.
While “CS01” kept a consistent theme — Caesar examined himself through psychological and philosophical lenses — there is no overarching story to “Never Enough.” Instead, Caesar repurposes the same themes of love and lust that he built his career on, but with a far more personal touch. “Never Enough” takes the shape of 15 introspective vignettes, which briefly open windows into Caesar’s personal life.
Before “Never Enough,” many of Caesar’s biggest songs felt like they could have been written by anyone, often featuring indistinct and broadly relatable love stories, hence the commercial success. “Never Enough” finally brings the viewer into a personal relationship with Caesar, a personal touch that transcends songwriting as he debuts his production skills.
Caesar, who hardened his production skills during the COVID-19 lockdown, is credited on production for 11 of the album’s 15 tracks. Across his four previous projects, he had produced only four songs, usually leaving it in the hands of Toronto duo Matthew Burnett and Jordan Evans who is also Caesar’s manager. Caesar’s effort and time spent producing “Never Enough” makes it his most substantive work to date.
Rather than an exhibition of the artist’s strong vocals, “Never Enough” sees Caesar develop his identity. The intro track “Ochos Rios” is a nod to a port-town in Jamaica, his father’s native country, and the outro was recorded as a freestyle in Jamaica, partially incorporating the Patois dialect.
The album is imbued with childhood nostalgia and the desire to never grow up. On “Cool,” Caesar imagines his younger self playing alone in his room. On “Pain is Inevitable,” which Mark Ronson produced, Caesar yearns for his lost childhood innocence. In the song “Disillusioned” featuring serpentwithfeet, he coils in fear of growing old, asking his lover to join him and make it easier.
While they will be hit-or-miss for some listeners, Caesar’s experimentations on “Never Enough” push boundaries further than any of his previous releases.
On “Buyer’s Remorse” featuring Omar Apollo, Caesar employs autotune — which is like putting A1 Steak Sauce on an A5 Wagyu Ribeye. “Shot My Baby” hinges on a gloriously distorted guitar riff, and the smooth synth-trap beat on “Valentina” prompted a remix featuring Rick Ross. The bonus edition was released three days after the album, also adding a Summer Walker remix to “Always.”
Caesar knew that the expectations would be high when it came time for his third studio album, having become a chart-topping artist in the interim since his last, but “Never Enough” only raises the bar. Caesar puts more of himself in this record than ever before and displays tremendous production chops while doing so. Playing with a versatile range of moods and song structures, “Never Enough” provides one of the most exciting RnB experiences in quite some time.
