Following the releases of two new singles over the summer, “Say” on July 11 and “Dream” on Aug. 8, musical artist Keshi — his real name being Casey Luong — finally dropped the rest of his album “Requiem.” It was composed of 13 songs and released to the public on Sept. 13, 2024.
I found the title of the album to be very fitting. A requiem is a solemn chant for the dead, and most of these songs were shrouded in their own melancholic clouds, touching on topics of loss and longing.
On the sixth track, “Texas,” Keshi reminisces about his home state. He starts by strumming a slow beat on an acoustic guitar, which has been an impactful instrument since his childhood.
When Keshi was interviewed by Buzzfeed, he mentioned how his grandfather had given him his guitar. He was so touched by the gesture that he “resonated with it that very first day that it was in my lap,” he said during the interview.
The last few lines of “Texas” ebb away with his pleas for someone to take him back to the days when he was growing up. Armed with a ballad-like voice, his emotions bore themselves raw with every word.
With the emotion of love comes longing, which seeps its way into various songs. While “Say,” “Soft Spot,” and “Like That” take a step into the realm of romance, “Dream” stirs up the image of an ideal person in an individual’s mind while they are in a relationship with someone else.
If one could say the words “I love you” a myriad of times without actually vocalizing them, it would be done through the tenth track, which happens to share the album’s title.
The simple piano accompaniment was enough to convey Keshi’s heartfelt feelings. Heartbreak is a difficult emotion to fake, but listening to the song “Requiem” sure feels like it.
Grief is another heavy emotion present in many tracks, one of which is “Night”. Without hearing the song, the track could take on many meanings based on its title, but interestingly, it’s about the narrator’s lover saving him.
I am still perplexed by some of the lines. For example, if the narrator lost himself to the night, how can the only remnants of his character be of the night? What does the night represent?
The pain of staying in a relationship that is obviously not healthy for anyone is portrayed through songs “War” and “Euphoria.” The former depicts a fighting couple that is trying to make things work, but the meaninglessness of it all is taking a toll on both parties. It illustrates a difficult dynamic in which neither person can accept that the best decision is for them to end the relationship and meet other people.
“Euphoria” then paints a picture of a toxic relationship, in which the narrator is entranced by the high that he feels when he is with his lover. He knows that he is in the wrong for seeing her the entire time, but he continues to stay by her side, singing, “Got me cut wide open…I’m bleeding, I don’t know why I still need it.”
Something that struck me the most was the link between the title and concluding songs “Amen” and “Id.” “Amen” is shorter than all the other tracks, discussing Keshi’s desire for stardom even though there is so much that he needs to juggle. “Id” feels remarkably similar to “Amen,” making it a slightly redundant ending.
Compared with his past tunes, I feel like Keshi amplified his character through this album, giving listeners a better idea of his style. With its unique music production and honest lyrics, “Requiem” is sure to touch listeners’ hearts around the globe.