Syd has been working double shifts in the studio, crafting new music with her band The Internet and on her own solo work. We’ll get the fruits of her labor on the latter first with the announcement of her third solo album, Beard. Her first LP in four years arrives in July, and after teasing the project with “GMFU” last September, she starts the album rollout in earnest with the official lead single “Callin.”
Syd co-wrote and co-produced “Callin” with Nova Wav, the production duo with a long list of hits on their resume who co-starred on Netflix’s docu-reality show Hitmakers. Nova Wav’s Blu june also joined Syd as a featured artist, and her vocals can be heard on the song.
It’s all about Syd, though, and she’s all about getting at her girl on “Callin.” Syd is yearning throughout the lyrics, and it’s an emergency. “I’m callin’ 911 / Cause I need your love / (I’m calllin’) / And you ain’t pickin’ up / I’m coming for your love,” she croons on the hook. Her girl isn’t picking up the phone for whatever reason, but Syd isn’t letting a few unanswered calls dissuade her from her mission or cool her desire.
The “Callin” visualizer picks up with Syd out for a drive in L.A. She pulls her whip over and jumps out to make a phone call — at a payphone on the corner. She looks a little stressed as she dials 911 and sings into the receiver. Meanwhile, Blu and her Nova Wav partner Chi Sophia make a cameo in the clip with a drive-by. Syd peeps them rolling past her and returns to leaving a voicemail since her girl still isn’t answering before hanging up and walking off frustrated.
“Callin” and “GMFU” are two of a dozen songs that will be featured on Beard. Additional collaborators include Raphael Saadiq (who played bass on “Callin”), Big Sean, Rodney Jerkins, James Fauntleroy, Van Hunt and Jordan Ward.
According to Syd, this project will document her personal and professional evolution. “Beard is a coming-of-age album for me. It’s a snapshot of what my life looks like right now,” she stated in a press release before providing more insight into what inspired the title and her insecurities that she’s learned to accept.
“The title was inspired by the peach fuzz on my upper lip that society has always taught me to hate,” Syd continued. “I fell in love with my peach fuzz, and it made me rethink everything that was supposed to make me feel insecure. It allowed me to take my confidence into my own hands, and own everything that I am and everything I love about myself, regardless of what anyone else thinks. The title also represents the way I see myself in relation to my peers, especially in music. ‘The bearded lady.’ Not so much a spectacle in my case, but an anomaly and an outlier. Hard to compare. I’m owning that too. Taking things that were once insecurities and flipping them on their head has been extremely empowering.”
- Advertisement -It sounds like Syd has grown and will be glowing on Beard. We love to see it. View the album’s cover image and tracklist below. Beard is scheduled to be released on Friday, July 17th, and it can currently be pre-saved on several digital music providers. Keep up with Syd and view her upcoming UK and EU tour dates on her website.
Syd Beard tracklist:
01. Walls
02. Callin feat. Blu june
03. Jasmin 17
04. My Love
05. Always Be Mine
06. Closet
07. Bad Guys
08. GMFU
09. Do Better
10. Any Time
11. Water
12. 2 Many Days
