Audrey Nuna Releases Debut Album ‘a liquid breakfast’.
Written by: Heather Mills
Rising R&B powerhouse Audrey Nuna continues to gain steam with the release of her debut album, a liquid breakfast. The Korean-American artist uses her creative music to be a response to the “saturation of fakeness” that is so prevalent in culture today. She considers one of her greatest assets to be her imagination and creativity, which is overwhelmingly clear in both her approach to production, lyrics, and song structure.
a liquid breakfast is heavy hitting from the very first track, ‘Typical,’ and completely engulfs the listener in the sonic world of heavy bass, neo-trap beats, and candid lyrics. As a first generation Korean-American, Audrey Nuna is blazing a trail with her unique hazy R&B sound and is a welcome ambassador for her culture and genres.
Audrey Nuna’s vocals soar in the space of the EP, both in roving melodic lines and in rhythmic flow. The EP is filled with versatility, from the more laid-back and stripped down tunes to the edgier and blunt tracks backed by weighty beats. While many debut releases for young artists can be one-noted, a liquid breakfast travels through many, often paradoxical, stories and emotions. Nuna explains, "Duality is a big recurring theme of this project and my life. Nonchalant and overthinking, foreign and familiar, hard and soft, ugly and beautiful, alone and lonely. I wrote a lot of this project from my apartment in New Jersey, recorded a bunch of it in my closet, sweating.” In addition to her use of contradicting lyrical themes, she makes good use of empty space, making the pocket hit even harder.
The 8th track and one of Nuna’s latest singles ‘Space,’ is perhaps the most emotionally captivating moment of the EP. The tracks leading up to ‘Space’ build tension so that when the chorus of the tune hits it feels as though the listener can finally take a breath in the ambience and breathtaking honesty of the song.
‘Don't make me the one to say it
'Cause I can't come down
I'm only human now
I just need some
Space
Space
Space’
Though a liquid breakfast begins in a feverish dream with songs like ‘damn Right’ and ‘Cool Kids,’ once the 6th track ‘Baby Blues’ hits, the EP takes a noticeable turn from hectic trap beats and frantic phrases to an account of deep relational disappointment.
Foolin' us with your baby blues
Even your best friends can't condone the things you do
The accompanying electronic and acoustic instrumentation reflect this stark contrast and allows the EP to take the listener on a complicated and satisfying journey. The final track ‘Long Year’ sends the listener into a nostalgic and melancholy daydream. The lyrics are timely in 2021, with themes of loneliness, familial tension, and existentialism. While she covers many topics and emotions, there are also several tracks on the EP that are danceable, making the 22 year old’s boundary-pushing debut even more impressive.
Nuna has an admirable and humble hustle. She is already collaborating with artists like Louisville rapper Jack Harlow and Chicago rapper and producer, Saba. We can’t wait to see what Audrey Nuna is up to next, and will definitely be keeping a liquid breakfast on repeat.