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Daniel Caesar sounds like a man finally ready to face himself.

After two years away from the spotlight, Canadian singer-songwriter Daniel Caesar is back with his fourth studio album, “Son of Spergy.” Over the past three months, Caesar had been teasing his upcoming release with one single per month, namely “Have A Baby (With Me)” in July, “Call On Me” in August, and “Moon” in September, in addition to multiple impromptu pop-up concerts. All of these surprise events took place in urban parks and their locations were announced at the last minute. There was a sense of intimacy for audience members and a feeling of being in the right place at the right time, which is a recurring theme in Caesar’s new project.

Released on Oct. 24, “Son of Spergy” marks a moment of healing and self-discovery in Caesar’s career. The singer stays true to his R&B roots, but includes many new gospel elements such as call-and-response, melismas, and choir vocals. Having just turned 30, Caesar demonstrates his maturity — as both a person and musician — in his reverent lyrics and soft tone of voice.

Compared to his previous releases “CASE STUDY 01” and “NEVER ENOUGH,” “Son of Spergy” explores more universal themes — questions of existence that can be anyone’s shower thoughts. Unlike the artificial and almost alien concepts in “ENTROPY” and “CYANIDE,” songs in the new record have a more down-to-earth and relatable quality. Furthermore, the rawness of Caesar’s lyrics shows that he is ready to bare his heart to listeners rather than hide behind a creative mask.

The album opens with “Rain Down (Feat. Sampha),” a strong declaration of Caesar’s Christian faith. Male and female voices layer on top of one another as they praise God and ask for his blessing. The reverence doesn’t stop there — other songs in the album such as “Touching God” and “Sign Of The Times” also record Caesar’s theological ruminations with lyrics like “Is it my fault? God decides who stays, who goes / Can I ask the question? ’Cause I really wanna know.” Caesar digs deep into his soul as he writes, doing a remarkable job involving listeners in what are supposed to be private, spiritual conversations. The album features some of the industry’s best soul musicians: Yebba, Bon Iver, Blood Orange, etc. However, none of them take the focus away from Caesar and his introspective journey.

“Son of Spergy,” like its title suggests, establishes a bond between Caesar and his father Norwill Simmonds (nicknamed Spergy), a devout gospel singer. At the age of 17, Caesar left home following a conflict with his father and began his music career amid homelessness. Now, 13 years later, the dedicated album suggests forgiveness and respect. Not only is Spergy’s portrait on the album cover, his vocals play a big role in the fourth track “Baby Blue (Feat. Norwill Simmonds).” At the end of the song, Spergy’s operatic voice echoes as he preaches Jesus’ sacrificial love, creating contrast with Caesar’s usual emphasis on earthly affection.

Another prevalent theme in “Son of Spergy” is undoubtedly Caesar’s desperation for love versus the notion of letting go. “Have A Baby (With Me)” is a gut-wrenching ballad in which Caesar confesses what his ideal marriage and family would look like. He displays fully his vulnerability and repeatedly begs the song’s love interest to “leave something” behind with him. Meanwhile, “Emily’s Song” alludes to a past lover who has been on Caesar’s mind since “Please Do Not Lean (feat. BADBADNOTGOOD)” was released in 2022. However, this time around, Caesar no longer plays the part of a lonely yearner. Instead, he expresses closure through the lyrics “Just want to thank you / For being my mirror / Showing me myself,” further solidifying his newfound inner peace.

Overall, “Son of Spergy” is Daniel Caesar’s most personal project yet — an album he made more for himself than for his fans, yet one that resonates with and heals each listener in different ways. He doesn’t try to reinvent R&B or go out of the box, but instead finds beauty in being grounded, honest, and human. Through his reflections on love, faith, and forgiveness, Caesar captures the complexity of human-to-human and human-to-God relationships. In spite of the album’s pensive mood, he manages to sprinkle in moments of charm and wit, reminding listeners that self-growth can be tender, funny, and profoundly real.