Devenaire released No Pressure: Tape 1B on April 13 of this year (2019) via SoundCloud. The project is an intimate compilation of five tracks: Levels, Life, Love, Glad and Insecure (Rough). Devenaire has been perfecting his craft along the years and has made a conscious effort to connect with supporters and grow his platform. Being consistent has played a large part in his success from putting out quality singles, visuals, booking shows and creating cohesive projects. Closure, an EP was released in 2017 and follows a similar model of six tracks that stay true to his R&B and old school Hip-Hop style.
The track, Life is accompanied by a visual, which toys with the idea of longing for someone who is one, not aware of your feelings, two, doesn’t want to give you a chance despite the fact that fate continues to pull you together and three, letting popularity dictate your love life. He thinks highly of her and doesn’t feel as though he is worthy of her eyes and heart. In turn, he witnesses the ups and downs of her failed relationships. She recollects faint memories when she sees him from behind and takes the initiative to speak to him and exchange numbers. In the moment, he begins to think back on the times when she didn’t pay attention to him as if the feelings he once had are no longer there. She missed her opportunity when he was initially into her. The ending leaves an unclear message as to what the two will do, but one could infer that he is no longer interested and she will have to deal with the rejection she once gave. It definitely keeps you wondering.
Devenaire is an artist from Camden, Arkansas but is a proud Atlanta, Georgia transplant. He is multifaceted in the sense of his talents — singer, lyricist. His music speaks to the essence of life, beauty, affirmation of human existence and self-love. The project itself is a harmonic mixture of real-life and what could be.
Levels is a beautiful introduction with Devenaire revealing parts of his childhood, receiving words of wisdom from his cousins and uncles. It transitions into a different stage of life that is encompassed by women, sex and a struggle to find a woman whose mind he can stimulate, someone who has something tangible to offer. Track two, Life is where he is actually on his path to finding the girl of his dreams who does have something to offer, but she doesn’t value his presence until it’s too late. With Love, he notices that someone he cares about is in a dark place and he encourages them by “realigning their focus”. So much time and energy is put into affirming this person’s existence and instilling positive messages into their mind, but there comes a point where he realizes that they must fill their own cup. He wants them to think, how can I go love anyone else if I don’t really love me, first? Track four, Glad is more of a message on life — drinking, credit, student loans, spending, goals, determination and hope. Obstacles are in the way, but he is still focused on doing what is needed in order to live a fulfilled life and be glad. Insecure (Rough) ends the project with a message on imperfection. He does wrong in relationships and the “sins of his father that he inherited” affect his love life. He tells the one he loves that the “bad” doesn’t define his love. The title is perfect for this track due to the back and forth in the relationship, trust issues, infidelity, lies and heartbreak.
Each track peels back a layer into a reality of what many of us experience: imperfection, seeking love, self-awareness, failure, determination, self-reflection and progress.