You know, seeing that Johnny Venus — also known as Olu of Earthgang — had a new love song out featuring Spillage Village compatriot 6lack, you might have thought you’d hear 6lack doing the crooning and Olu rapping. As it turns out, “So Beautiful” does things the other way around (a nice example of how the Atlanta-based crew loves to throw listeners a curveball every now and then).
Utilizing a lush neo-soul instrumental — complete with some truly excellent Wurlitzer work — Johnny V puts on his best falsetto to serenade his lady, while 6lack leans into his underrated rap bag to emphasize the points Johnny’s making.
The song is the first of Johnny’s solo deal with Sincethe80s/Epic Records, which he announced today alongside its release. In a statement, he explained, “This is my saga. This is the story that I’m telling about myself and my journey and growth, but there will still be those Easter eggs.” His solo debut album, Earth 2 Olu, is said to be coming soon, “Because it’s time,” he says. “Now is the time, now is all we have.”
The news comes after Earthgang dropped their eclectic fifth album, Perfect Fantasy, last October.
Listen to Johnny Venus’ “So Beautiful” featuring 6lack above.
