The Reissues Project: The Cool Confidence of BNZA’s “Soul Tree”
Released in 2020, BNZA’s debut album introduced a singer unmatched in charisma, confidence and songwriting.
The Reissues Projects introduces previously overlooked albums or EPs by leading AAPI artists to readers through new interviews and reviews.
“I got soul baby/ Been through it all baby,” BNZA declares with some weariness on the final track of “Soul Tree”, his hypnotic and seductive debut album.
Recorded in Toronto, Canada and released in May 2020, “Soul Tree” is a striking introduction to BNZA, a musician who had only released a few singles prior to the album. He’s perhaps best known for the shimmering “Slide”, which has reached over 1 million streams, but “Soul Tree” is the greatest example of BNZA’s talent. It’s taken time, though, for that talent to be recognized. He released four singles last year, including the excellent “Selfish”, each building off the R&B soundscape that took roots here. Yet he’s been nothing if not consistent since the album’s release , creating music that never misses and that always excels in highlighting his lithe voice.
BNZA holds court on “Soul Tree'' with a game of patience. He’s a moodmaker who roams through this album at his own pace: nonchalant but full of magnetism. His icy cool persona recalls the archetypes of leading men in the Golden age of films: the rebels, the goodfellas, or rather, the bad boy who makes you question if what you heard about him is true.
Photo: Justice Gin
BNZA’s lyrics suggest that he may be a problem, but you'll find nobody better than him. “Got a lotta people tryna bet against me/ Ima keep on winnin till the day I can’t breathe/ Everybody tellin me I can’t quit,” he croons on the title track. Who would challenge that?
There’s little in the way of fluff on “Soul Tree”. The singer employs no samples or guest stars that could beef up the album. The songs are elegant pieces that, instead, rely on the singer’s charms. But the album is so damn good that you’d be surprised to learn that it was written and largely produced singularly by BNZA, with the help of a few close collaborators in Toronto.
His hometown, which BNZA reps with pride, is referenced throughout the album if you know what to look for. While “Big Trouble” might describe BNZA’s persona, it’s also the name of his favorite bar in Toronto. “Find me wit the homies making waves,” he sings on that track, likely referencing his friends in M6K, the collective BNZA started which brings parties and even basketball summer camps to the community. That group also receives a shout out from BNZA on “American Dreams” when he warns, “M6K we don’t play.”
At the heart of the album are the roots that BNZA is putting down for himself and his friends. He details this goal in the title track: He wants his name on the plaque. He’s seeking a real shot at success. “Used to sing with no meaning, now I’m singing about the soul tree on my track,” he reflects on the title track, and it’s easy to root for him.
“Soul Tree '' finds its most interesting grounding in BNZA’s unique writing. His muscular lyrics are heard best on tracks like “Alone” when he asks, “Lil mama whatchu need/ Honesty or greed/ You got me trippin bout the little things, you gotta let me be.” He sings these lines with a smooth precision, never once sounding insincere.
BNZA’s pencil is sharpest when he’s writing in short, choppy lines that read like poetry or bars. “Roses poses doses of your lovin/ I’m the one that everybody has chosen,” he sings on “Soul Tree”. “Dollar bills and the hills where we aiming/ Ain’t nobody can hold me back.” Consider, too, on “Big Trouble” the way he spits out these lines of rugged machismo, “Sippin’ a bit/ Throwin’ a fit/ Takin’ a hit/ Makin’ a hit/ Takin’ a step/ Never regret/ Everything bless.”
Even at his most vulnerable on “Us”, where he longs for an ex, BNZA knows he can get under your skin. “I’ve been only our mind lately,” he sings in a high falsetto that will melt you. “He don’t bring what I could bring/ Girl I gotchu on my strings”. But he still works hard to regain her trust, singing, “Let’s take it slow/ I know you don’t wanna rush baby/ Got these other mamas hittin up my phone,” before reminding her, “You’re the one for me, girl.”
Perhaps what makes this a phenomenal album is its staying power. I listened to “Soul Tree” for the first time nearly a year ago when I met BNZA for an interview. I was struck from the first moment of “Fire”, which felt remarkably self-assured. Often when I listen to an album, I only return to it a few times. But “Soul Tree” stayed in rotation for me, through plane rides and trips to visit friends; when I was alone in my bedroom on days when I felt low or depressed; and on those nights when I was feeling as confident as his lyrics. “Your music sounds best when you’re driving through the Hollywood Hills,” I messaged him one night from LA, maybe because the visuals of honeys, rolling hills and pouring up dollar bills sounded best as mysterious buildings like the Chateau Marmont edged out from my window.
My love for “Soul Tree” has grown almost in the same way the title suggests. I listen to it nearly every week, and BNZA’s voice has become my favorite in music. The more I’ve listened, though, the deeper I’ve begun to see behind the boasts and toasts. At the root of “Soul Tree '' is BNZA’s dreams that one day, that tree will begin to grow as firm and steadfast as his belief in himself. His lasershot aim is towards a direct target that I can’t imagine he’ll miss: For gold.
