Review by Andy Kellman
The first three singles off Bryson Tiller's debut album kept the singer/rapper hovering near the top of Billboard's R&B/hip-hop chart for a few months during 2015 and 2016. Each one went platinum, as did the parent release. This consequently made Tiller one of the decade's major R&B breakouts. For True to Self, his follow-up, Tiller opted to employ an almost entirely new and slightly larger cast of collaborators -- a little over two dozen in number, once again strictly producers, no guest vocalists -- yet the method nonetheless seems to be 'If the style you coined ain't broke, don't fix it.' Like T R A P S O U L, True to Self is primarily thumping, dispirited slow jams laced with smudged samples -- '90s R&B once again the crate raided with the greatest frequency. This kind of thing sounds a little less novel in 2017 than it did years earlier, but True to Self is more colorful and melodic than what preceded it. Likewise, fame evidently gave its maker more issues to write about, including new romantic complications, greater wealth, and a deeper sense of humility. The latter quality is evident in several cuts. When he references missing a work deadline due to his inability to resist temptation, he does so as if he's admitting fault, not boasting. In the opening 'Rain on Me,' worried about losing his lover, he declares 'I wanna grow gray with you.' He even slips in a line about providing for his grandmother in the foe-flicking 'Blowing Smoke.' On the surface, Tiller still gives off that wallflower baller vibe; the brashness of the debut largely remains. The lack of connection made on the one stylistic shake-up -- the lightly jutting 'Run Me Dry,' a cousin of Rihanna's 'Work' and Drake's 'One Dance' -- suggests that Tiller will likely be better off continuing to refine the sound for which he's known.
Surprise surprise. If you haven’t yet heard, Bryson Tiller decided to release his sophomore studio album, True to Self, a full month early, effectively sending all us Bryson Tiller fans into a tizzy. Tiller’s debut album, Trapsoul, ended up being one of my favorites of 2015. It was a successful slow burn I never meant. Bryson Tiller surprised fans with the early release of his True to Self album while Lil Yachty made waves of his own with his debut LP, Teenage Emotions. In the sales projections, the singer is. True to Self is Bryson Tiller’s sophomore album. It was released on May 26, 2017. The album was originally due to be released June 23rd, but Tiller surprised fans by putting it out a month.
| Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream |
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| 1 | Bryson Tiller | 02:25 | Amazon |
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| 19 | Bryson Tiller | 02:30 | Amazon |
Bryson Tiller’s sophomore album leans heavily on ’90s R&B samples. It sounds luxurious, but Tiller’s come-up narrative and good-guy pose are starting to lose their power. Listen to True to Self by Bryson Tiller on Apple Music. Stream songs including 'Rain On Me (Intro)', 'No Longer Friends' and more.
blue highlight denotes track pick
R&B singer Bryson Tiller has announced a tour in support of his new album. Released last week, True to Self is Tiller’s sophomore effort, serving as the follow-up to 2015’s T R A P S O U L.
The Set it Off Tour will kick off on June 23 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and run all the way until September 16 in Louisville, KY at KFC Yum! Center. In between, catch him throughout the South, Pacific Northwest and up and down the East Coast. Joining Tiller on the road are Metro Boomin and H.E.R. for varying dates.
You can also catch Bryson Tiller when he opens for The Weeknd overseas in Finland and Norway on July 1 and 4, respectively. Check out his full list of 2017 tour dates below.
Bryson Tiller 2017 Tour Dates
Bryson Tiller True To Self Tracklist
| Date | Location | Venue |
| 06/23/17 | Los Angeles, CA | Staples Center |
| 06/30/17 | Spoordonk, Netherlands | Spoorzone Tilburg |
| 07/01/17 | Helsinki, Finland | Kaisaniemen Puisto ^ |
| 07/04/17 | Bergen, Norway | Bergenhus Festning/ Koengen ^* |
| 07/07/17 | London, England | Finsbury Park |
| 08/03/17 | Atlanta, GA | Fox Theatre &* |
| 08/05/17 | Southaven, MS | Landers Center &* |
| 08/06/17 | New Orleans, LA | Lakefront Arena &* |
| 08/08/17 | Houston, TX | NRG Arena &* |
| 08/09/17 | Austin, TX | Statesman Skyline Theater at the Long Center &* |
| 08/11/17 | Phoenix, AZ | Rawhide Event Center &* |
| 08/12/17 | Las Vegas, NV | The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino* |
| 08/15/17 | San Francisco, CA | Bill Graham Civic Auditorium &* |
| 08/18/17 | Vancouver, British Columbia | Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre * |
| 08/19/17 | Seattle, WA | WaMu Theater &* |
| 08/20/17 | Portland, OR | Theater of the Clouds at Moda Center &* |
| 08/23/17 | Denver, CO | Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater &* |
| 08/25/17 | Dallas, TX | The Bomb Factory * |
| 08/29/17 | Miami, FL | Watsco Center at the University of Miami &* |
| 08/30/17 | Orlando, FL | CFE Arena * |
| 09/01/17 | Richmond, VA | The Classic Amphitheater &* |
| 09/02/17 | Vienna, VA | Wolf Trap &* |
| 09/03/17 | Norfolk, VA | ODU Constant Convocation Center &* |
| 09/06/17 | Lowell, MA | Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell * |
| 09/07/17 | Mashantucket, CT | The Grand Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino &* |
| 09/08/17 | New York, NY | Radio City Music Hall * |
| 09/09/17 | New York, NY | Radio City Music Hall * |
| 09/11/17 | Philadelphia, PA | Skyline Stage at The Mann Center * |
| 09/13/17 | Toronto, Ontario | Echo Beach * |
| 09/14/17 | Detroit, MI | Masonic Temple Theatre &* |
| 09/15/17 | Chicago, IL | Aragon Ballroom * |
| 09/16/17 | Louisville, KY | KFC Yum! Center * |
^ = w/ The Weeknd
* = w/ Cezinando
& = w/ H.E.R.
* = w/ Metro Boomin
Bryson Tiller Tickets
