Bronx-born visionary BRIEL the Artist delivers a seismic debut with DAMN GENESIS, a mixtape that weaponizes vulnerability into radical self-liberation. More manifesto than musical project, this 2025 release chronicles the artist’s fiery metamorphosis – from suffocating under societal expectations (“being Black, being gay, feeling pulled in every direction”) to claiming authorship of his identity.
The title’s duality says it all: DAMN curses inherited limitations, while GENESIS sanctifies self-creation. Tracks like “SITUATIONSHIP” and “PRETTY” exemplify BRIEL’s surgical approach to themes of emotional security and self-worth, blending Alternative R&B’s moody introspection with Hip-Hop’s narrative grit. His sonic palette – shaped by depression-era immersion in artists like Ambré and Destin Conrad – crackles with the raw energy of his Bronx upbringing, where vinyl-hoarder childhood memories collide with Latin rhythms and rap ciphers.
Following the breakout single “LADIES SONG”, this project plunges deeper, transforming concert-honed stage presence (see: electrifying Coming of the Year Sessions) into studio alchemy. BRIEL positions himself as the “artist still eating struggle meals” – his lyrics a lifeline for those navigating similar trenches of queer identity, financial strain, and spiritual questioning.
DAMN GENESIS doesn’t just soundtrack transformation – it demands it. With the urgency of someone burning old blueprints, BRIEL crafts not just songs, but a survival guide for the marginalized and misunderstood. The result? A debut that feels less like an album drop, more like the first rallying cry of a movement.
With DAMN GENESIS, BRIEL the Artist delivers a fearless debut that turns pain into power and vulnerability into revolution
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