OnlyDev “Badu Breakdown” VIDEO DEBUT

A stumble upon OnlyDev’s music has quickly turned into a solo discovery of underground talent. After the release of “GMN” this past June, “Badu Breakdown” off of his latest EP, “Se7en” has given me a new anthem. This is Dev’s first music video and it was definitely well executed. From the beginning of the video, I was intrigued by the shadow figures of the Black women. It foreshadowed the mood and tone of the single. Immediately after, I hear one of my favorite parts of the entire song which is the sample of Summer Walker’s “Stretch You Out” featuring A. Boogie. His beat selection is always on point, in my opinion. His cadence always aligns perfectly with the vibe of whatever beat he uses. The song is a serenade to his Black goddess, his “Badu”. The reference to the famed Erykah Badu alludes to his respect for her spirituality and divine essence. “She say she my new Badu, keepin’ it 3 stacks she probably is.” Andre 3000 and Erykah Badu reference, it’s giving power couple vibes. 

Throughout the video, there’s transitions between Dev spending quality time with his Badu and his friends. It personifies the idea that “even when there’s a room full of people, all I see is you.” I really loved that aspect, especially because the close ups of they’re eye contact show you that clearly it was vibe in the room. His four models that were featured in the video reminded me of the muses from Hercules. The entire video overwhelms you with Black beauty and creativity. “I’m just a libra, I bring balance, U bring the boat, I bring the paddle. We both stroke until we make it.” “My lil shawty do hoodoo, she like who do you think you is?” I have so many parts of this song that I admire but to sum I’ll say that once again, I am impressed. This is one of my favorite new love songs. Milwaukee has an amazing R&B scene, next time you think about checking it out, look up OnlyDev. 

“Badu Breakdown” should be on every Black girl’s playlist, this is a serenade to the girls! 

How y’all feel about it? 

/Pam from CW

ONLYDEV “GMN”//NEW SINGLE

I recently stumbled upon ONLYDEV and this new single “GMN” is a great introduction song to get a feel for the type of artist that he is. He’s got a frictionless style that grabs your attention and interest visually, coupled with a divergent sound that entraps you sonically, so I wasn’t surprised when I pressed play and enjoyed the entire song. This is the perfect song to start your day off to. If you're the type of person who sets alarms to sleep, I BET you will get up if this is your alarm sound. I love that his energy is transparent throughout the whole song. His laughs made me laugh, his hype moments made me hype, almost as if it was contagious. But basically, the song is about getting up and getting out of bed, being productive, and making the most of your 24 hours. “Last night was a blast but its gone be yo last if you don’t get out the bed,” lines like this and “....let’s do it lil n-a, wake up smoke some, let’s get this bread. Let’s do it lil n-a!” make me feel like this wasn’t something that was written and rehearsed, I feel like he just went in the studio and went crazy just purely off of adrenaline and passion. Not only is it catchy, but it’s enjoyable and it’s fun. It’s one of those songs that people will engage with no matter what’s going on. Even if you’re in a setting where you probably shouldn’t be singing, there’ll still be a slightly noticeable head bob with a quiet, “good morning n-aaaaa”. If black boy joy was a song, this would be it. I love it! Let me know what y’all think.