ERLY – Drugged Out [Single + Video]

ERLY (Titus Makin) laces “Drugged Out” with a slow, creeping vibe, the kind that sneaks up on you when you’re not looking, like a rush of guilt that’s been hiding in the shadows of your mind. It’s fresh out the gate, barely a month old, and it digs right into the grime of addiction and the struggle to rise out of it. ERLY’s not hiding from the dark corners of his mind—he’s throwing it all out there, no filter, no metaphors to soften the blow.

The production by Quinn Mills gets that eerie dark-R&B-meets-slinky-funk vibe going from the jump. It starts light, almost breezy in fact, but then the bass and drums kicks in heavy, anchoring the track in something of a low-down and dirty mood. The guitar sneaks in with a little bit of overdrive during the choruses an addition that intensifies the atmosphere and sharpening the tune’s edge. Vocally, ERLY’s all over the map, in a good way. One minute, he’s soft, almost whispering in your ear, like he’s lost in his own thoughts, forgetting that anyone else is even listening. Then, out of nowhere, his voice wails roughly and for all to hear, as if he’s choking on the words but still needs to get them out. And the “La, la, la” chant in the chorus is sung in a sweetly soulful way but also sound as though he’s trying to block out the noise in his own head

ERLY doesn’t have a problem being uncomfortably honest on “Drugged Out,” steering clear of any glorification or preachiness. It’s a clear-eyed look at the weight of addiction, but it never feels like he’s trying to make excuses or preach to anyone—just laying down the facts of his struggle. Dope work (no pun intended).

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