Album of the Year #40: Daniel Caesar – Never Enough

Daniel Caesar:

Never Enough:

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Background by /u/younglavaboy

In an age where your moment can come and go in the span of a year or two, it’s conventionally unwise to starve your audience of music for too long. So in the lead up to April 7th, 2023, when Daniel Caesar released his third studio album “Never Enough,” almost four years after his previous body of work “Case Study 01,” I was interested to see how the music, but maybe more so importantly, Daniel, would be received.

Who could forget the arrival of Daniel Caesar, who in August of 2017 gave the world Freudian his debut studio album. Boasting standout tracks such as “Get You” and “Best Part,” the critical acclaim for this album placed Caesar firmly in the conversation as a prolific singer/songwriter and set Caesar on a trajectory for mainstay and torch carrier for modern alternative RnB.

This meteoric rise came to an abrupt halt in March 2019, not long before the release of “Case Study 01,” when Daniel Caesar was marred by controversy following his vocal support of Julienna “YesJulz” Goddard in a now infamous Instagram live.The controversy isn’t the focal point of this review, but for those interested, here’s a video by Naomi Cannibal on the topic that I think sums it up quite well.

In any case, this incident saw swarms of Caesar’s fanbase abandon their fandom, with many choosing to “cancel” him. While I can only speculate that this context explains the lengthy gap between albums, it gave rise to two questions for me: ‘What has Caesar’s life looked like in that four-year span?’ and, ‘How would Caesar be received upon his return?’ One thing however that was never called into question for me was the talent. And after hearing “Never Enough,” that stance hasn’t wavered. Here’s why.

Review by /u/younglavaboy

KEY TRACK COMMENTARY:

“Ocho Rios (1)” starts the album minimally with Caesar’s voice in a near falsetto. Caesar summarises the album well, describing a time when his “head was low,” before shifting to a more grateful stance in the next line, announcing that “[he’s] here” because his lover made it so, which in ways follows the narrative I will put forth in The Inner Voice (see later).

“Valentina (2)” applies a bouncier spin to the traditional ballad-like songs we get from Caesar. The tune of this song makes it an instant earworm, but I found that it lacked lasting replay value.

Caesar recruits Mustafa for “Toronto 2014 (3),” a track in which both reminisce on a life before fame. It was awesome seeing these two collab. Caesar finds some pretty melodic pockets on this one, most notably for me, the outro “You know, Stockholm, long roads, on go, You can’t even reach me,” (discussed more in Favourite Lyrics) and the chorus

“I can hear the bells ringin’, remindin’ us why We’re still here singin’, it’s Father Time We’re stuck in The Matrix, living a lie I’m not afraid to die”

The production here by Sir Dylan and Simon on the Moon isn’t overcomplicated and uses smooth bass lines to give those melodies extra flow. As a cherry on top, the music video, where they visit Sudan together, amidst the turmoil occurring there currently, was a great touch.

I want to tie “Let Me Go (4)” and “Always” (6) together here. While the album is more centrally an exploration of self, Caesar offers his core audience “Always,” a ballad that is reminiscent of his Freudian era of music. I like that Caesar chose to continue his experiment with different subject matter, but one can’t help but recognise that he is at his best with songs in the vein of “Always:” Songs that offer the ability to flex his skill as a singer-songwriter.

The antithesis of “Always,” “Let Me Go” is evidence that while we know Caesar to shine when capturing the highlights of romantic relationships, he’s equally adept at reflecting the heartbreaks too. If there’s an argument for who in contemporary RnB best communicates the full spectrum of experience in relationships, I would submit these two songs to make my case for Caesar.

On “Cool” (7) we see Caesar at his most vulnerable. This track is completely stripped back, not just in terms of production, but also lyrical content. The feel of this track is almost self-soothing, delivered in a cool, calm tone that seems to embrace a heavy-hearted kid and encourage him to just rest, even if for a moment.

“Shot My Baby” (10) and “Do You Like Me” (5) are the more fun songs on the album. “Shot My Baby” sees Daniel use his writing ability to weave a fictitious narrative filled with cheating and revenge.

I don’t like saying that an artist is writing a song with commercial success on the brain, but “Do You Like Me” feels tailor-made for radio.

While the album is very good, I do have a few things that detract from its quality:

While I consider both “Shot My Baby” (10) and “Do You Like Me” (5) to be great songs, my only gripe is that as a concept album guy, these songs don’t quite fit neatly on the album from a sequencing standpoint. The album seems more about putting quality songs together, rather than creating the most cohesive project, which is fine, but as an artist I hold in high esteem, I’d have liked to see more… artistry.

I think on “Vince Van Gogh,” (13) Caesar falls into the trap of trying to share insights he’s gained in life, but coming off as almost preachy. I witnessed this myself hearing him perform live when he took moments during the show to impart his “wisdom” to the crowd. I appreciate the sentiment, but it can detract from the song. While on the topic of this song,

“Used to be ugly, now I’m a handsome, Charlie Manson, wrapped in a snuggie”

has to be one of the worst lines on the album. Finally, the reference to Vincent Van Gogh seems odd. Is he saying that we’re just not fully appreciating him and his music? I’m not sure I can draw that parallel.

“Homiesexual” (12) is also probably my least favourite song. I can’t say I’m a fan of the vocals and the verse from Ty Dolla $ign seems to me, like another in a list of forgettable features from someone I had once respected as a writer. Still, this might be the only true skip on what I deem a great effort by Caesar.

“Superpowers” (14) documents the outcome of the introspection on the album. Much like the end of GKMC, where we get the resolution of Kendrick hailing himself King, we see Caesar become “the main character” in his life. There’s a newfound confidence that has come from this introspection. Because of how this record fits within the narrative, and the statement outro “You’re the main character now,” it feels like the natural conclusion to the album. However, we get “Unstoppable,” (15) which is another fun track that seemingly continues from Superpowers thematically. Having gained this newfound confidence, Caesar feels “Unstoppable.”

KEY THEMES:

As a confessed concept album guy, producing thematically rich music is a dealbreaker in my evaluations for AOTY. While I wouldn’t consider this a concept album, it wouldn’t feel right to review the album without discussing key themes that I believe, help carry “Never Enough” to AOTY contention.

Anticipation Is Better Than The Real Thing

On “Never Enough,” Daniel Caesar builds on the introspective journey scattered across “Case Study 01.” While love is still a prominent theme in this album, Caesar seemingly realises that anticipation can often be better than the real thing as he comes to question if the success he desires is worth it. On “Buyer’s Remorse” (9), Caesar writes

“I guess I got what I prayed for Angels overhead And yeah, it’s not what I slaved for Worked myself to death”

which seemingly reinforces this point. On “Pain is inevitable’ Caesar laments over his transition from free musician to “a product, that must turn a profit.” This sentiment is echoed in his interview on Q with Tom Power, wherein he acknowledges that music has evolved from purely a passion to a job in which he is now responsible for the livelihoods of so many people. Interestingly, I think the song’s central theme is not simply about regret, but more specifically, about accepting the consequences of one’s decisions. So when Caesar echoes “Pain is inevitable, misery’s a choice,” we as listeners are clued into a sense that he may just have found acceptance in his newfound role.

Not only does Caesar wrestle with the understanding that fame and fortune aren’t quite what it’s cracked up to be, but he also expresses the recurring desire to return to a more innocent and liberated version of himself. Central to this idea is the song “Toronto 2014,” which explicitly mentions a desire to travel “back to 2014,” a time in which for Caesar “the future was alluring.” These lines tie back to the idea that the anticipation was in fact, better than the achievement of success. Similar sentiments are expressed on tracks such as “Disillusioned .” (8)

The Inner Voice:

When listening to this album, you may notice instances where Daniel is talking to someone, but seemingly also, to himself in the lyrics. I tracked this across several songs and wanted to share somewhat of a narrative I found within the music, as I discuss the role of Caesar’s “inner voice” on the album:

The first pivotal moment for the inner voice on this album is the song “Cool.” Poignantly, Caesar says “Try your best to calm me down, Don’t give them all of yourself,” a line which seemingly appears to see Caesar personifying this inner voice as an agent that seeks to help him emotionally regulate. In this context, the next part is fitting, as the voice is speaking to Caesar, telling him to avoid overinvesting emotionally in others.

Using this Inner Voice lens, I believe the recurring lines of the chorus for “Pain is Inevitable” {“Pain is inevitable, Misery’s a choice”}, functions, not as a reminder to the listener, but rather as a mantra, communicated from within Caesar himself, during a song in which Caesar navigates through the feelings of disillusionment, and spots of regret.

This internal self-soothing evolves on “Vince Van Gogh,” wherein the Inner Voice takes on an actual voice (the distorted voice of Caesar) and begins the role of challenging Caesar’s thoughts. This spawns lines such as “I would argue that the more they tell you that they hate you, the more they actually love you.” Interestingly, in the context of this song, Caesar has taken Psyllocibin, a hallucinogenic that is associated with distortions in perception. Could this be why the voice pronounces itself more explicitly here?

Following this pivotal point for the Inner Voice, you see this evolution from a point wherein the role of the voice is to soothe a troubled Caesar, to when the voice comes to resemble Draymond Green giving Kevin Durant a pep talk before the GSW Portland series (great meme btw). The next few songs in this narrative, “Superpowers” and “Unstoppable” spawn a newfound confidence in Caesar, evidenced by lines such as “It’s crazy to say this, but you’re the greatest (You are the greatest)” and “Now who’s gon’ stop us? We’re unstoppable, yes.” Note the repetition of: “You are the greatest,” on “Superpowers” which I posit is Caesar repeating the words of that Inner Voice for himself, finally.

Favorite Lyrics by /u/younglavaboy

“Pain is inevitable, Misery’s a choice” – Pain Is Inevitable

A very simple line but as someone who has dipped their toes into Stoic thought, I can guess that Caesar has likely gone down this journey himself. As discussed in my commentary, the line feels like a mantra, a reminder that in turmoil, maintaining a positive mindset is key.

“You’re lying when you tell me that you won’t be fine, I’m not leadin’ you on I’m leavin’ you behind” – Let Me Go

This was my favourite line on the album. On the record, I could instantly resonate with it, but it was only after hearing these lines live, that they gained an added dimension. It’s hard to tell if Caesar knew these lines would be echoed back to him by hundreds who had all experienced a similar sentiment, but he for sure found a way to capture moving on in an elegant, yet simple way.

“You know, Stockholm, long roads, on go, You can’t even reach me Just know, whenever you need me, we’ll figure it out Look up and you’ll see me, and I’ll be around (Yeah) ‘Cause when I’m home, I’m lost, let’s go make it look easy Oh, take it easy on me, it’s still my city, it’s still my city” – Toronto 2014

The lyrics to these lines aren’t particularly impressive but the melody Caesar uses for this outro is truly beautiful. Caesar’s use of enjambment (“Stockholm, Long Roads, On Go”) creates a flow between the lyrics that feels like it comes at you in waves.

CONCLUSION:

In the intro, I mentioned coming into the album asking ‘What has Caesar’s life looked like during his four-year hiatus.” Having listened to “Never Enough,” I can confidently say that this break has been a period of introspection that has culminated in a newfound confidence, one that is fueled by an inner voice that won’t allow him to give up on himself. In what might be a fitting conclusion given Caesar’s career, this introspective journey has been carried along at every stage by the versatile use of a bass guitar.

Discussion Questions

Where does Never Enough rank among Caesar’s discography to you? Are there any other themes I might have missed that you would care to share? To those who personally cancelled Caesar at the time, would you/did you give this album a listen? What did you think?