We enjoy when an artist can give us something we never expected. That seems to be exactly what singer-songwriter Gabriel Garzón-Montano is doing. If you've been following him on his socials, then you already noticed that he's switched up his look a bit by buzzing off his hair and getting a considerable amount of ink on his torso. However, when his extra special edition of COLORS dropped last week we also learned that his sound was undergoing a bit of a change as well.
The COLORS session, in recognition of him signing to famed indie label Jagjaguwar (already home to trendsetters like Moses Sumney, Jamila Woods and Unknown Mortal Orchestra), saw him premiere three new songs — "Someone," "Agüita" and "Bloom" — in a dramatic fashion that also showcased why he's always been an artist to watch (which we proclaimed back in 2014, just sayin'). He started his set in a mauve-colored room while draped in a white coat as members of Berlin Strings sat behind him. "Someone," a love-drunk R&B ballad, felt familiar with what we've come to know of the singer. His poetically awkward lyrics paired nicely with the easy bounce of the music.
That familiarity quickly ended, though, when Gabriel flipped off his white jacket, simultaneously signaling a beat change and revealing a dark denim jacket and pants underneath. It also seemed to turn on a switch in Gabriel as he slid into another persona for "Agüita," which is reminiscent to something you'd expect from a Bad Bunny or J. Balvin thanks to a trappy beat that makes you automatically sit up and take notice. He rapped this section entirely in Spanish in an embrace of his Colombian heritage before shedding the denim jacket and picking up the acoustic guitar to give us "Bloom." The ladies of Berlin Strings joined for the final track, which is a beautiful ballad that expands on some of the themes and sounds we heard on his last album, Jardín.
We're not entirely sure what Gabriel Garzón-Montano has been cooking up, but we damn sure are liking the new recipe. He hasn't revealed when can expect his second full-length project, but since he has a few shows lined up this April, we imagine that we'll be hearing more rumblings from his camp by then. Until we have more word, check out Gabriel getting into his brand-new bag for COLORS right here.
