Myles Cameron invites you on a nostalgic trip back to “Summer '19”
There are some artists that rely on being bombastic and in your face to prove how good they are and stay culturally relevant in the ever-shifting musical landscape. Then there are artists like Myles Cameron, who let their unassailable talent speak for itself with a sort of quiet confidence that belies their years. With 18 months passed since his 2020 EP Black Sheep, Cameron finally returns with the upbeat and evocative “Summer ’19” as well as the announcement of his hotly anticipated forthcoming project Black Boys Look Blue. Cameron’s close friend and fellow recording artist Moise handles the second verse, an effortless and silky cherry on top of the vibey summer sundae.
Tonally indie, “Summer ’19” is a sanguine ode to pre-pandemic summers (that somehow already feel like a lifetime ago), times before masks and hand sanitizer were mandatory pocket liners and hangouts with friends elicited nagging anxiety. More than that, however, the song is first and foremost a celebration of blackness and existing in spaces that weren’t always welcoming to black artists. “The instrumental leans very indie” Cameron relates, “But Moise and I are both black artists. Historically there isn’t a whole lot of representation of people who look like us in that space, so the whole song became sort of this rumination on that juxtaposition. The hook, song structure, and certain lines of Moise’s verse could have come straight out of some rap shit. We were both kind of like, okay this is an indie jam, but how do we make it unapologetically blacked out.”
The accompanying Josh Charow-directed visual focuses on Myles and friends back in their hometown celebrating what they describe as “black boy joy” in traditionally monochromatic suburban spaces. Cameron carries his natural charisma and unwavering coolness throughout the video, with a variety of eye-opening set pieces that reflect all the key themes of the track itself. It’s eye candy, but eye candy that still delivers an important and inspiring message throughout.
Cameron’s upcoming EP consists of just six songs that were carefully handpicked over the last year and a half of recording and writing with producer Frankie Scoca. The result is a powerful collection of ruminations on being black in America and existing and thriving in the uninviting spaces of American suburbia. Look for Black Boys Look Blue sometime in the early Fall as Cameron is set to ascend to the next echelon of his impactful and uncompromising career.
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