Ever since the Toronto-based artist debuted in 2014, Daniel Caesar portrays himself as a polarizing and necessary force within the R&B landscape. His discography solidifies his consistency and talent as an artist, from elite songwriting in songs such as “Get You” to serenading harmonies in “CYANIDE” to his Grammy-winning performance on “Best Part”. In 2017, he released his debut album “Freudian”: a project that deserves praise for its soulful production and its earworm melodies. Nearly two years later, he dropped “CASE STUDY 101”, an album that faltered in comparison to its predecessor, but Caesar still showcased his talents as a singer and songwriter. After taking a long and overdue hiatus, while Caesar featured with prominent artists such as Omar Apollo and Justin Bieber, he finally announced the release of “NEVER ENOUGH” April 7, 2023.

Several fans saw “NEVER ENOUGH” as a polished and refined work of art, and it certainly captivated listeners with its opening track “Ocho Rios”. The song contains lush  production with beautiful songwriting on Caesar’s part, as he proclaims his love and dependency on another girl. The following song “Valentina” begins with calming synth chords that progress into a lowkey track where Caesar talks about a love triangle and how he hopes to find a way to make “Valentina” his girl. 

Alongside Caesar’s angelic voice, “NEVER ENOUGH” features a myriad of prominent male singers that deliver great performances and blend well with the album’s concept of love and heartbreak. For example, “Toronto 2014” features Mustafa, an artist who fuses his poetic writing with warm vocals and folk-music undertones. Mustafa transitioned from a professional poet to a singer in his 2021 debut album “When Smoke Rises”, where he gorgeously sang about his grievances and heartbreak for losing loved ones. As a result of his unique talents, Daniel Caesar displayed his care and dedication for this album by placing Mustafa on the third track. Other underrated artists such as serpentwithfeet, Omar Apollo, and Ty Dolla $ign either sing minimal and simplistic verses or harmonize with the album’s consistently amazing instrumentation. 

“Let Me Go” staples itself as one of Caesar’s best songs in terms of memorability and relatability. As he meshes his divine vocals with gentle and laid-back production, he laments about coming to reality within his fragile relationship. As the song progresses he sings about finally realizing that he needs to break away from his love interest and that his partner needs to let him go. Throughout the entire album, Caesar perfectly articulated the various emotions that originate from love and heartbreak and several listeners related to songs like “Let Me Go” as a result.  

“My favorite song from the ‘NEVER ENOUGH’ album is “Let Me Go” because you can feel the emotions he’s conveying to the listener and it’s just super beautiful to hear. This album makes me feel emotional because a few songs remind me of specific experiences I’ve had with certain people and the types of conversations we’ve had,” senior Nahtecia Housen said. 

Even though “NEVER ENOUGH” remains his longest album in comparison to his former releases, he manages to blend a mixture of themes in this 15-track project. In “Always” he sings about a past relationship and how an aspect of that person will always reside with him. The following track “Cool” showcases an introspective side of him as he discusses his youth and how he felt lonely due to an absence of friends and physical affection. Although his debut album “Freudian” fused gospel with elements of love and “CASE STUDY 101” displayed his experimental side, “NEVER ENOUGH” acts as a personal album full of reflection and self-introspection. Throughout his career and his life, Caesar always felt as if his talents and his ability to grow as a person failed the expectations of people around him. Due to his artistic capabilities of portraying his vulnerable moments, he curated possibly his best album to date and made several anthems for any listener who may relate to the agonies of heartbreak. 

“The new Daniel Caesar album held a lot of beautiful and seamless lyrical melodies. My favorite song is either “Ocho Rios” or “Pain Is Inevitable” because his voice is so soothing and goes seamlessly with the vibrant instruments,” magnet junior Kameron Harvey said. 

The Chant’s Rating: A