Evidence Of Happiness

Sampa the Great “2 4”

The phrase “I had evidence of happiness” keeps poking out of this song like an unexpected thorn. Most of what registers in the vocal is boilerplate rap/dancehall – 2, 4, get on the floor – but the few lines around it build a lot of tension and make everything else about the song feel more defiant than fun. I love the way the chords skip on the beat, and the slowed-down vocals pop in to this threadbare arrangement to add a bit of texture, but go against the grain of the music in this oddly pleasurable way. It’s like moving against a tide, but maybe that’s the idea of the whole song.

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