(May 8, 2023) Tre.Charles gets deep on his new EP Currently. The title hints at what the North Carolina native has been currently confronting. Topics addressed on this introspective and deeply personal EP include the struggles that Tre.Charles faces as a Black man living in America, being overwhelmed by the ubiquitous social media landscape, working to break free of societal expectations and how meditation helps him deal with all those pressures.
(May 8, 2023) Tre.Charles gets deep on his new EP Currently. The title hints at what the North Carolina native has been currently confronting. Topics addressed on this introspective and deeply personal EP include the struggles that Tre.Charles faces as a Black man living in America, being overwhelmed by the ubiquitous social media landscape, working to break free of societal expectations and how meditation helps him deal with all those pressures.
“Lately,” the song featured in this First Listen, can be about any of those subjects. The synths and guitar riffs set a melancholy and self-reflective tone of someone who understands that he is dancing to someone else’s tune. Whether he’s overworked, overcompensating to appear non-threatening in a culture primed to see young Black man as a threat, or overreacting to likes or clap backs on social media, the song’s first two lines hit hard: “Lately I’m doing too much/and lately I’m always in a rush.”
Tunes like “Lately” show that Tre.Charles is unafraid to be led by a creative narrative that runs counter to the cool and hard image that many artists put forth. Tre.Charles says that is intentional.
“There’s strength in vulnerability, but a lot of times, we don’t give each other the room we need to be vulnerable or flawed, because it might not be seen as ‘cool’, and that amplifies the negative narratives, and reinforces old tropes that are not helpful to our growth. I think to move forward, we need to let go of control. This project is more of a journal of where I am right now in my healing process, and it highlights these nuances through a lens of vulnerability, with the aim of bringing honesty and insight to the forefront of the conversation, which will hopefully inspire and sustain growth.”
By Howard Dukes