GRAMMY-nominated producer Sam i—fresh off his track “Perfect” being featured in an Apple campaign starring Pedro Pascal—has joined forces with Nashville artist Shmuck the Loyal to deliver the highly anticipated debut album from their collaborative project TRY, dropping April 18.
The self-titled LP spans 16 tracks and serves as a genre-blurring sonic adventure, overflowing with energy and boasting a wildly eclectic lineup of collaborators. Among the most notable is hip-hop legend RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, who lends his voice to the introspective and poignant track “The Art of Listening.” Released alongside a visualiser on Wednesday, the track stands as one of the many emotional peaks of the record.
The album is as unpredictable as it is exhilarating. From the hard-hitting “Lay It Down” featuring DreamDoll and UK rapper JAY1, to the festival-ready anthem “Fire Sign” with Mikky Ekko, every track reveals a new facet of TRY’s identity. There’s the heart-on-sleeve “Rather” with Bipolar Sunshine, and the soul-cracking “Break Me Open” featuring RY X, paired with a stunning video directed by visual artist Krotchy, using practical effects fused with emerging AI tech.
For club heads, “With Me (feat. Empress Of) – Club Redux” injects high-energy dance floor euphoria, while “What You Need” dives headfirst into d’n’b chaos. Other standouts include the downtempo R&B burner “End of Times”, the cinematic “Silence” with Camden and Miette Hope, and the unrelenting hybrid banger “Hyperspace”, which fuses trap grit with jungle madness.
The collaboration between Sam i and Shmuck the Loyal began in 2019, but their creative synergy feels timeless. “Every time I sit down with Sam, it’s always a blank canvas,” says Shmuck. “It is always a dynamic and fluid experience.” That fluidity is the heartbeat of TRY, a project unafraid to move from 2-step to house to synth-pop, always chasing emotion and pushing sonic boundaries.
TRY isn’t just an album—it’s a journey through rhythm, reflection, and reinvention. The LP arrives as a genre-shattering debut and a bold statement from two of the most innovative minds in modern music.
Fans in Los Angeles can catch TRY live at El Cid on Sunset Blvd this May 15, alongside Milkblood and Ora The Molecule. Tickets available via DICE. TRY is out April 18 on all platforms.
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