Manny King John
Talented singer-songwriter LONR (stylized as LONR.) already has an impressive resume to boot. He’s GRAMMMY-certified; nominations and wins under his belt, plus he has collaborations with artists such as HER and YBN Cordae. If he were to stop right now, he’d have more accolades and success than many artists behind the scenes! Clearly, for LONR, that’s not enough, and thankfully so. With his latest EP, ‘Land of Nothing Real’, LONR is showing us that not only does he have the chops to contribute to the success of other artists, but he can create his own.
The EP opens up with the song ‘Time’. The mellow track is perfect for an intro and we get a feel-good song for the ladies–instant formula for success! His pen really shines in this song. We know LONR is a talented writer, his awards show that, but this song showcases his ability to be a sincere lyricist while still making a track that is catchy enough for anyone to enjoy.
Continuing through the tracks and no disappointment. LONR has mastered the art of injecting beautifully deep lyrics into a vibey, enjoyable track. ‘Safe Zone’ kept the same energy that I’d been enjoying to that point. The lyrics speak of a girl who lives on the edge and LONR wants her, bad. It’s a mid-tempo track that keeps you in a good mood.
Always one to surprise, however, the next track ‘Lit’ flips the script on all of us. This track is for anyone who may have thought that LONR was ‘one-dimensional’. This song is straight-up fire. Hard-hitting bars, explicit-laced, all that. He enlists 24kGoldn for that track and it comes and injects you with adrenaline. The track that follows, however, ‘Unruly’, brings you back down, gently. His versatility is incredible. Still haven’t been disappointed and I don’t see it happening.
His collar with HER, ‘Make the Most’ is the perfect example of why they continue to collaborate. It’s simply beautiful. “I wanna grow old with you, make the most with you, that’s the goal.” Simple hook. Effective. The vocals are perfect, the production perfect, lyrical content perfect. It’s a gentle love song that has what the R&B purist (me) will enjoy.
This EP is for the person who has heard about the legend of LONR but hasn’t had the chance to fully see what he is capable of. That question is answered here: He is capable of everything.
