Trigarow: “Don’t Know” – in a rare echelon of comfort

Trigarow, MC and visual artist relocated from Papua New Guinea to New Zealand in his early childhood years and hasn’t stood still since. From rallying his schoolmates for a new high school anthem at age 16, to his prolific music video output the 22-year old works in constant double-time. Trig’s just released his tropical single “Don’t Know” with vibes that stem from his island roots in PNG.

If anyone is still unconvinced, “Don’t Know” should cement Trigarow’s deserved status among the genre’s iconic underground performers. That might ultimately be this track’s most important legacy: It offers a cohesive commercial product that captures the artist’s lush current sound and whether it fulfills everyone’s expectations or not, it’s an undeniably definitive work that happens to come at what might seem like Trigarow’s creative peak.

The track, which comes off the still unreleased “Dream Catcher” EP, certainly never feels like anything less than exactly what Trigarow wanted to make. The song has a decent shot at being a hit on radio as there’s plenty of elements verging on pop crossover.

His beat, produced in collaboration with Rory Noble, is lush and substantial, and he raps-sings over it with plenty of agility and musicality. The grand melodic forays of Trigarow’s pop-styled songwriting, undeniably sculpts him into a smoother performer.

The way he’s rapping, voice dripping in effects, for instance, is so fast and sophisticated and in tune with the sound of now and innovative that it’s arresting. It’s clearer than ever that he’s in a rare echelon of comfort with the track he’s on. He makes Drake look awkward by comparison.

Trigarow seems to glide over the track like it’s been slathered in butter. Most similar trap rap songs sound like nursery rhymes compared to the operatic fluidity of present day Trigarow.

In retrospect “Don’t Know’s” level of accomplishment seems inevitable, like Trigarow poured up a stream of sharp bars, and then mixed it with a spritely melody and plenty of emotional depth, ending up with a track of particularly rich music ready to ride to.

This latest entry into Trigarow’s catalog is crazily catchy, showing off his ability to make music that just sounds satisfyingly beautiful. The old rules of rap don’t apply anymore, and Trigarow is boldly at the front of the line with the new wave of rappers.

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