Chloe x Halle’s second venture ‘Ungodly Hour’ will cement them as one of the most stunning acts in R&B at the moment.

The sisters have been astounding audiences left and right for close to ten years but their musical development and sophistication have never been more pronounced than in their latest album. What used to be two girls crooning covers on YouTube have grown into fine young women who’re so sure about their sound and are not afraid to touch upon bold subject matters. First of all, let’s talk about the power of their sisterhood that comes through so loudly in each and every tune.

The album’s lead single ‘Forgive Me’ relies upon a dramatic, infectious melody that girls deliver with a furor of confidence. The lyrics may refer to a fairly standard conflict with a guy but the instrumentation and the vocals transform the tune to that worthy of a complete goddess. With some strings hitting through in sensational fashion, the sisters are hell-bent on making a statement of intent. And it couldn’t be more powerful. 

The album’s other single ‘Do It’ flows through some classic R&B beats yet the composition is still very unique in that Chloe and Halle glide through the beats with a keen sense of sensuality and glamour. It helps that their feather-light but striking vocals transition between the notes seamless so while you’re trying to catch up with the current verse, they’ve already slid through to the chorus. Other tracks in the album maintain just the same level of provocation, honesty, and musical versatility. 

The album was just released in mid-June but it’s already been racking up accolades all over the place. The girls’ did a brief set in this year’s BET awards and have been charting in various Billboard charts as well. What else can you expect from an album tracklist that was executively produced by Beyonce herself? That means that the R&B standards evident in this album were approved and given the green light by the Queen B herself. 

On discussing the title of this album, Halle Bailey said, “So we feel like the title track of this album is really going with the times of what's happening right now, because truly this does feel like the ungodly hour and we just hope that our music can be a healer right now.”

 r&b 

Author: Shaoni Das

Shaoni Das is a writer/editor currently based in Edmonton, Canada. She remains eager to inspect how the changing culture of music impacts upon the greater world.