Da Challenger – “Loved & Lost”
Da Challenger – “Loved & Lost” – Single Review
A good lead single will make you want to listen to the rest of the music on the record. I remember back in the day, sometimes you’d hear a single so good you’d tear the CD package open with your teeth if you had to, whatever it took to get in there the quickest…practically throw the disc like a Frisbee, landing it perfectly in the cd-tray and press play. That’s what I miss most about physical copies of anything…I went completely digital around like, fifteen-years back…so aside from the indie-scene that sends out their music still this way…I rarely get the experience anymore. But I miss opening a new record in anticipation of how good it might be based on what you’ve heard already out there on the radio. Whatever…I’m fuckin’ old now…times have certainly changed…can’t really feel all too bad about jumping off that ship long before it decided to permanently dock in an ipod port.
BUT…if it WAS back in the day…and the lead-single I was hearing was “Loved & Lost” from Da Challenger – an already notorious recommended daily dose of hip-hop – well, let’s just say this would have been one of those discs I couldn’t get myself into fast enough to hear the rest. This new track from Da Challenger is seriously hot…hypnotic both through the music and through the rhythm in the flow of the words. I actually checked out the last review we did on this homie…because don’t get me wrong, it’s a name I remember…and I’ve always remembered that Da Challenger is a dude that had both skills and the promise of more…but I couldn’t remember if the last track was as good as the one I’m hearing right now with “Loved & Lost.” What I didn’t assume, was that it could have been…I absolutely think Da Challenger is at the top of his game here on this new cut; the reviews we’d done in the past were favorable, like I said, we’ve always supported this guy – but I stand behind this new track as definitely being some of the best, if not the best song I’ve heard from Da Challenger so far personally. Does this get me looking forward to his new project called Doppelgänger? HELLZ YES.
Da man gets seriously personal on this one, detailing the emotions, good-times & bad through the arcs of his relationship…the narrative on the story runs deep…the kind of details you can relate, but can’t make up. I’d wager a bet that 99% of this track or more is based more in fact than it is written in fiction. Could just be the way I’m hearing it…but this to me sounds like the most personal Da Challenger has ever been with us through his music…and I think it might be a side-effect of really putting it out there like this that’s yielded such an incredible result. Da Challenger sounds like he’s right in the flow of this one…like a conductor of words, making sure that each one hits their mark perfectly. The imagery in the words, combined with the clarity and steady-flow of the story itself all lead to the listening experience being able to picture this entire scene perfectly. It ain’t always the most fun – but this is certainly a relatable tale for the most part…people can certainly connect to this narrative and really understand where Da Challenger is coming from. So…there’s that. Relatable qualities are seriously key qualities in lyrics when it comes to people catching onto a song or really finding that instant connection to it. Da Challenger himself, 100% flawless through this roll & stroll through the rhymes – tons of wordage in this one, but he fits it all perfectly to the beat & meter, plenty of time left in his mind to still add his own style & flavor to it. The end-result comes out smoothly…”Loved & Lost” glides along through the crystal-clear mix on the mic & the beat…the music is minimal here…but spot-on, rhythmic & hypnotic. The magic is left to the emcee…and in this particular scenario, Da Challenger continues to crush it…I swear each time I hear this guy he’s still on the way up and improving on what I’ve heard from him last time.
The hooks in this cut are seriously strong and performed/produced perfectly. Definitely got me looking forward to the new record Doppelgänger – Da Challenger is clearly ready to take it to that next level once again…and if he’s sounding this good straight out the gate on his first single…I’m assuming there is going to be even more incredible music from him right around the corner when the album comes out. Consider me ready for that at any time – Da Challenger continues to challenge himself to create new, vibrant & fresh-flows…and the guy keeps coming out victorious.
Join the thousands of bands & artists reviewed at sleepingbagstudios by clicking here!
