Released in early May, “Señorita” is the lead single off Vince Staples’ upcoming debut album Summertime ’06. The track was produced by Christian Rich, who has worked with Earl Sweatshirt and Childish Gambino. Judging by the combination of acoustic piano and pounding bass on this track, Rich and the rest of the album’s production squad are sure to create a promising slate of beats for the new project. I have high expectations after being thoroughly impressed by Staples’ 2014 EP, Hell Can Wait.
The lyrics begin with Future’s staccato flow featured on the hook and Staples going in on the verses as usual. Drawing from his dark experiences in Long Beach, California, Staples paints the portrait of a world that exists within our own, a world of violence that is all too real and neglected by the majority of America. The depiction of this fact at the end of the song’s music video is an added bonus to an already solid track.
It will be interesting to see what range Staples can exhibit on Summertime ’06, as his best songs as of late (“Hands Up,” “Blue Suede”) fall within the same vibe as “Señorita.” Based on a recent Instagram post by the budding MC (excerpt below), I expect we will be hearing a great musical testimony at the end of the month.
“Youth was stolen from my city that Summer and Im [sic] left alone to tell the story. This might not make sense but that’s because none of it does, we’re stuck. Love tore us all apart. Summertime ’06, June 30th”