In his first project of the year, Soupmakesitbetter attempts to make sense of this complicated thing we call “love” on his new EP, 4PLAY. “I wrote these four songs to get you and yours open,” he explains at the end of the first track, “Name On It.” “Even if you’re alone, you’re not alone… I want you to listen to these and think of the perfect love that you ever want to have in your life.”

Compton-born and Houston-raised, Soup made his debut in the music industry in 2017 with his Ladies Love Soup EP. Since then, he has been steadily releasing projects under his own label, Paid Better Records.

4PLAY was produced by Australian producer DHEM and arrived on Valentine’s Day. Its mellow production makes it the perfect handful of songs to listen to while laying up with your significant other. The rising rapper’s intention of crafting a reflective yet imaginative project around love was met, as he accurately hits on some of the various emotions one would experience while in love. My favorite, “MC Hammer” especially does this with lines like: “I’m a sucker for your reckless habits” and “if I do this any longer, I might see Nirvana.” Soup makes it known that the idea of love and loving is equal parts subjective and objective. While the intensity of the feeling and the effect it has on our expression of it varies per individual, there is still a sense of universality when it comes to the blinding euphoria that love brings about.

Cozy up with your S.O. and press play on 4PLAY by Soupmakesitbetter and DHEM below.

Twitter: @SoupMakesBetter