Ryan Yoo, aka boylife, has never been afraid to tackle difficult subject matters. He’s a living testament to how the pen is mightier than the sword, writing artfully poised lyrics with a heartfelt sentiment that are filled with raw emotional gravitas and pack an almighty impactful punch that makes you wish you’d thought of these poignant phrasings. The cadence of his vocal is like the bright reflection of moonlight on a body of water, finding the light in the darker moments of light and the beauty in the ugliness that comes from being human. He’s a special artist who’s nuanced sound consistently captivates and speaks directly to the soul of any listener. The world is beginning to clock onto his artistic talents and it’s easy to see why when he releases sonic marvels like his latest single.

Written about a man who doesn’t know how to be honest, lush focuses on pulling back the curtain on men who struggle to be open with their thoughts, feelings, masculinity and the selfishness at comes from keeping it all bottled up. We see touching moments as he reveals his true feelings, “I hope the future you prepared / And the dreams you couldn’t share (Dreams you couldn’t share) / Come true,” send chills down my spine with his hymnal voice soaring over the sonic palette as the rays of euphonic sunlight that radiate from the production dazzle. It’s a nuanced take on toxic masculinity that doesn’t pull any punches, it shows all the ugly parts that come along with it and doesn’t disguise it as anything else. A truly spellbinding affair with a powerful message at its core.