AKTHESAVIOR and sagun have debuted “Issues”, the latest single from their upcoming joint album u r not alone and a pinnacle merger of the duo’s individual styles. Fresh off a string of recent guest-featured previews from the project – from last month’s collaboration with Pink Siifu titled “Humble,” to “Tetsuo’s Ways” (ft. Mick Jenkins) – “Issues” finds AK and sagun stripping it back and putting their talents at the forefront as a tandem.
Swirling moody lo-fi and alt hip-hop into a song about meeting imperfections with empathy – the track arrives along with a music video that captures its melancholy haze through the backdrop of LA’s Chinatown at dusk.
u r not alone officially releases on April 5, 2024 via Platoon, and features a studded lineup of guest collaborators – from the aforementioned Pink Siifu and Mick Jenkins, to Erick The Architect, A$AP Twelvyy, Jaws of Love (Kelcey Ayer of Local Natives), and Azizi Gibson. Comprised of fourteen tracks that blend AK & sagun’s worlds of hip-hop and lo-fi, the project meditates on self-actualization, perseverance through isolation and the search for community within a social landscape that feels increasingly disconnected.
“’Issues’ was inspired by me wanting to experiment with singing, and when I heard this beat, I instantly felt like I should try something new with it,” says AK about “Issues.” “I teamed up with my friend Kenneth Cash, who helped me with the flow of the song. Once I figured that out, the words came to me naturally as I reflected on my current trials, tribulations and imperfections. We all have our issues that we go through in life but the important part is that we grow and learn from each of our obstacles and become a better version of ourselves.”
From rap to lo-fi, to the thousands of miles between AK & sagun’s respective homes of Brooklyn and Nepal, u r not alone is a world-bridging album. Finding common ground over things like anime and the inspiration they draw from the natural world, the duo bonded and collaborated via FaceTime from opposite ends of the planet before eventually relocating to Los Angeles and meeting in-person for the first time this year.
We vibing with “Issues”? Looking forward to the full project?
