In August, Rome Fortune announced that he would be dropping an album entitled FREEktales in October. He shared the first single, "Ethan Hawke", but the rest of the project never materialized. However, this week, it arrived in an alternate permutation. The title of the album has been shortened to FREEk and its ten songs featured different titles than the initially-advertised tracklist.
Regardless of the reasoning for this change of programming, new Rome Fortune is out in the world and that is a cause for celebration. The production on FREEk is quietly explosive, as is the Atlanta artist's delivery. His hoarse whispers sway with the waves of the beats, so you're banging your head while feeling at ease. The sonic mood can gradually shift between dreamy and rugged, but often blends the two with Rome's airy vocals filling the space between these poles.
FREEk is Rome Fortune’s first album since 2016’s Jerome Raheem Fortune, but he has kept up a consistent output of loosies, EPs and tapes. Last year, he shared a collaborative EP with Toro Y Moi, Toro Y Rome Vol. 1. In 2018, he released the third instalment in his Beautiful Pimp mixtape series. Let us know what you think of FREEk in the comments.
