MIA since his features on Tyler, The Creator’s Chromakopia in 2024, Daniel Caesar has finally returned to reclaim his throne in the pop-R&B scene. On October 24, Caesar released his fourth studio album, Son of Spergy, teased by three singles: “Have a Baby (With Me),” “Call on Me,” and “Moon (feat. Bon Iver).” Opening at #1 on the R&B Billboard Chart and peaking at #4 in the US Billboard 200, the album proves to be the most popular in his collection thus far.
Norwill “Spergy” Simmonds, Caesar’s father, is the namesake and focus of the album. Having been kicked out of his house by Simmonds as a teenager, Daniel Caesar created these songs as a memento of his recent reconciliation with him. It serves as a celebration of his growing maturity and acceptance of lingering doubts surrounding his relationship with his father.
Son of Spergy explores Caesar’s relationship with the concept of paternity as a whole. It begins with the aforementioned homage to his father, “Spergy” Simmonds, most obviously in the title and album cover. It then drifts into a reflection of Caesar’s relationship with God the Father. He incorporates many gospel elements into his music, including vocals from his actual father, a professional Gospel singer. This innate spirituality is present not only in his lyricism but also in the songs titles themselves, most notably in “Touching God” and “Sins of the Father.” Caesar falls back on both these father figures as he grapples with both his desire and fear of becoming a father himself in “Have A Baby (With Me),” “Baby Blue,” and “Sign of the Times.”
Though such a personal journey held immense potential for emotional lyricism and touching storytelling, many critics claim Caesar came up short, citing Tyler, The Creator’s Chromakopia as a far more successful attempt at the paternal reflection trope.
In the realm of Daniel Caesar, however, this album is his most vulnerable work to date, arguably serving as a sequel to his debut album, Freudian. Freudian is the birthplace for Caesar’s unique blend of R&B, neo-soul, and gospel music. In his second and third albums, CASE STUDY 01 and NEVER ENOUGH, Caesar drifted away from this niche style and into a mix of hip hop and R&B. As such, much of his raw lyricism during these years was often washed out by dramatic production. Son of Spergy saw Caesar’s return to the more subtle genres of Freudian and consequently, his return to that same vulnerability. By collaborating with the indie-folk band Bon Iver on Spergy, a stark change from consistently featured rappers on NEVER ENOUGH, Caesar was able to cement this stripped-down, raw concept of the album. This stylistic homecoming is only further emphasized with the parallel of the final tracks of Freudian and Son of Spergy. Caesar bookended his debut with an emotional ten-minute title track, fitted with a median of pure silence between two musical portions. “Sins of the Father” follows this same pattern and illustrates Caesar’s desire to lead the listeners into their own reflection at the album’s close.
Arguably Daniel Caesar’s most mature, beautiful, and thought-provoking work, Son of Spergy is a must-listen and a likely Grammy candidate this year. As for now, we will all have to cross our fingers for a tour announcement, because his live performances are undeniably the “Best Part.”
