It has been about two years since Steve Lacy’s debut album dropped. His sophomore album, Gemini Rights, released on July 15th, 2022.  The soul/R&B artist’s new album was allegedly inspired after breaking up with his significant other. Not only does Lacy sing about his thoughts and feelings, he also reminisces on the many red flags and problems he had during both current and past relationships.

“Static” is the first track on the album, and it features a slower melody filled with piano. It seems to be about how Lacy’s past lover is coping with their breakup. The lyrics imply that his past lover had turned to drugs in order to cope with the separation.

Almost the complete opposite of the first track, “Helmet” has an upbeat and fast tempo. In this song, he comes to realize how toxic his relationship was and that he needs to let go of it. Lacy is able to get the message through to listeners that sometimes what we need isn’t always going to be what we want.

Unlike his other songs, “Mercury” has a jazzy, bossa nova vibe to it. The trumpets and other instruments heard in the background are different and unexpected for a Steve Lacy song. The meaning of the lyrics in this song is that Lacy is complex. He has trouble maintaining relationships as he struggles with who he is, mentioning his astrological sign and how it plays a role in why he is the way he is.

A very charming and chill song, “Buttons,” makes listeners feel as if they are floating. The baseline and guitar throughout the song give it a groovy vibe. The song has a typical melody of a Steve Lacy song, with its relaxing beats with  deep message. Unfortunately, this song is about how Lacy has been mistreated yet again by his significant other. 

The most popular song on Lacy’s album, “Bad Habit,” has been topping the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart for the past three weeks and rightfully so. “Bad Habit” is about regret and missing the chance to make a move and be with the person we really like. The artist expresses how if he knew that the person he liked was interested in him, he would have tried harder to be with them, conveyed in the repeated lyrics “I wish I knew you wanted me.” Though he believes he missed his opportunity, he still asks himself if it’s too late to try.

Created with Matt Martians, “2Gether (Enterlude)” is by far the shortest song on his entire album. It lasts only about fifty seconds and repeats the lyrics “Together, forever”. The song may be short, but the lyrics imply a sense of security and happiness.

“Cody Freestyle” has a very airy and smooth sound. This song has a modern vibe to it through its lyrics and overall sound. It seems as if Lacy is reflecting on his relationship and realizes that he is bothered and conflicted.

Lacy is reminiscing about his past relationship in his song “Amber.” He uses this song to make it have more of a storybook structure than his other tracks. He focuses strongly on the past and he states his regrets regarding having a relationship with this person. Many fans say that the vibes and vocals of this masterpiece are similar to singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder. 

“Sunshine” features singer Fousheé and has a longer running time. It has a pretty upbeat, but chill melody. The meaning behind the lyrics is that Lacy may be catching feelings again for an ex after seeing them for the first time in a long while.

To finish his sophomore album, Lacy wrote “Give You The World.” It has an angelic, nostalgic vibe to it and truly brings out the soul in this genre of music. Lacy makes it clear that he will not make the same mistakes he did prior to his lover and that he will “give them the world” this time around. The song ends the album on a sophisticated note, concluding the variety of emotions Lacy displayed through his music.

From being someone who struggled in the music industry in the beginning to growing into one of the most popular artists, Steve Lacy has really proved to be deserving of this recognition. He has once again created an outstanding album that is currently number 14 on the Billboard top 200 albums.

This album puts out meaningful points for its listeners, and it may even be rather eye-opening for those in relationships. Lacy is receiving much recognition from the album, which proves how far he has come from his struggling artist days. I highly recommend giving it a listen.