The artist formerly known as D.R.A.M. has been on a lengthy hiatus following his eclectic debut album Big Baby DRAM in 2016, but five years later Shelley FKA DRAM is back, refocused, and better than ever. Side-stepping the viral enthusiasm of “Cha Cha” and “Brocolli” that initially helped him break onto the music scene, Shelley returns with a significantly more mature sound, the byproduct of spending the last few years by not only working on new music, but also himself.
His long-awaited sophomore effort is a self-titled record that arrives on his mother’s birthday, who Shelley recently revealed passed away last year. Shelly FKA DRAM is his “gift back to her” and the follow-through on his “promise to play it for the world.”
Although Shelley FKA DRAM is the LVRN artist‘s first album in nearly five full years, Shelley’s new project is a much more lean effort than many fans likely expected. At 10 tracks, Shelley’s sophomore album is so far one of the cleanest albums and most personal albums of the year, and it also boasts a few soulful guest appearances from artists such as Summer Walker, H.E.R., Watt, and Erykah Badu.
“Thank you so much for listening to my first offering of Shelley,” the R&B artist says during the final moments of the album’s penultimate track “Remedies,” “but this is the first of many more offerings to come. Soon, too! We finna flood the streets with love and grief. Oh, and P.S. — if you owe Big Baby DRAM anything, keep that lil’ funky a** sh*t.”
Scroll down to check out Shelley’s long-awaited sophomore album Shelley FKA DRAM.
Tracklist:
1. All Pride Aside (with Summer Walker)
2. Exposure
3. Something About Us
4. Beautiful
5. The Lay Down (with H.E.R. & Watt)
6. ’93 Acura Vigor (with Erykah Badu)
7. Married Woman
8. Cooking With Grease
9. Remedies
10. Rich & Famous