Outlaw Cartier is adamant about the warm reception received by his debut single, ‘lil runaway’. Steeped in slick darkwave and a gloomy evocative aura, the track has enjoyed a certain success on streaming services, with the Philadelphia-based creative quick to point out the excellent save rate and the good number of streams. Sure, the keen reader might wish to remind us that numbers are, in fact, just numbers, and we would generally agree. Yet, in this case, the music speaks for itself: ‘lil runaway’ is a really good record, the sort of moody, brooding stuff that we’d be happy to save in our private playlist.
Clocking up at just under three minutes, ‘lil runaway’ is short and snappy, drenched in raw melancholia and boundless nostalgia. It’s a timely, contemporary formula, one that makes it equally heartwarming and icy. It’s the soundtrack to your life, good for solitary car roadtrips as well as public transport background. Formerly known as Chxrles, Outlaw Cartier exudes hints of R&B elegance and introspection, qualities that go hand in hand with his newer persona.
Delving deeper into the creative ethos that propels the single, Cartier explains: “It explores themes of both escapism and heartbreak. Often drowning problems in vices, and the desire to run away and let it all go”. Influences are rather eclectic, with names such as Drake, Post Malone, and The Cure all thrown into the mix.
Recommended! Discover ‘lil runaway’ now: