Teezo Touchdown - How Do You Sleep At Night (Album)
One of the most eccentric artists we are witnessing in real-time, Teezo Touchdown, released his heavily anticipated album titled “How Do You Sleep At Night,” which is an assemble of diverse sounds from pop-esque to punk rock with adding a bit of alternative and hip-hop in the mix. Think of Tim Burton & Andre 3000 creating a being so different from the world that it captures life in every beautiful aspect, and you got Teezo Touchdown. The album is full of versatility, vigor & wonderment, capturing a significant impact of essence throughout its 14 tracks. I initially learned about Teezo Touchdown through his feature on Tyler The Creator’s “RUNITUP” record, as most fans have. However, you may be surprised that he had a career even before then where his past music was slightly different but still showed angst as one of the few unique talents that people overlooked but is now becoming one of the greatest in the making.
I knew at the beginning of the album that I was about to hear a masterpiece, but I didn’t think it would start right on the intro. “Ok” slides off to this guitar and kick drum combination, constructing up to the intense chorus that you wouldn’t think that a two-letter word could create such an astounding impact. Tagging along on the journey to his album, the following record featuring Janelle Monáe titled “You Thought” is an unexpected step toward becoming a distraction in the sense that the record starts loud with Teezo crooning his rhymes that sound like it’s building up in the background but then suddenly drops back to the slow running tempo almost like he was tricking us. The title tells the secret, but man, your first time engaging the record, you are surprised, and the second time, you get to enjoy its blissful feeling. Every track has its highlighted moment, and I have yet to find my favorite one of the bunch; it’s hard coming across an album that has everything: sadness, realism, beauty, plus more. I debated whether my writing journey had an ending because I felt like quitting was near. It’s a moment of defeat that I have once a year, but I’m sure every creative does. I bring this up because while I had a low moment, it was positively raised due to Teezo’s record “Impossible.” The fear of not chasing your dream and living it through someone else’s had never felt so real; the meaning of the record isn’t to feel like success isn’t possible. It’s to show confidently that you won’t take a loss at your dream.
Teezo Touchdown perfectly ensembles every negative thought you have to chase your dream but never question the impossibility of it. I felt so relieved to know someone didn’t give up their dream, and neither will I. I love the art of storytelling; if you can bring your track to life without seeing it but imagine the characters playing their part visually, it’s quite an incredible gift. Teezo does that on an astronomical level with “Neighborhood.” Not only does he tell the tale of three different perspectives, but he makes it into a record you can sing along to; the story, while tragic, is built up harmoniously, and he does this to show the trauma happens every day and we’re numb to it at this point. It’s a haunting record but done beautifully. I can’t put into a single word why this track means so much to me. The album has no comparison to anything out, which is so strange, not that it’s a bad thing, but Teezo Touchdown formed this magnum opus with some inspiration. I would love to know what it could be. Maybe it’s as simple as his come-up or even life, but something motivates his curiosity to the bar and move it to unscathed heights. The album is spectacular in every way, from the hip shaking of “Nu Nay” to the intensity of “Familiarity.” Teezo has done an immaculate job of letting us roam through his world he calls his mind, and for that, I say thank you.
I expect Teezo will be enjoying the moment he is having with the release of his album, and I do hope he plans to announce an upcoming tour with some Texas dates on it. I would enjoy seeing some of these records in a live setting, and I’m sure many fans would agree. If you haven’t given the album a chance, please do so; not too many artists of his artistic caliber make music like this. It’s special and deserves to be heard and appreciated. I hope you give it a chance; who knows, it could be the one thing your life is missing to help bring a smile to your day.