In an era where vulnerability is currency, Giveon’s sophomore album, Beloved, feels like a rare gem. Raw, restrained, and emotionally resonant. Released on July 11, 2025, the 14-track project doesn’t just confirm Giveon’s place in R&B’s new guard; it elevates him to the genre’s most reflective voice.

Where many artists chase trends, Giveon leans into timelessness. He forgoes digital excess for analog warmth, swaps catchy hooks for aching honesty, and avoids dated references so fiercely that, as he jokingly told AP News, “even my grandma could relate.”

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The Sound: A Cinematic Soul Revival

Beloved draws heavily from the sonic textures of ’70s soul. Lush strings, regal horns, and deep basslines that rumble like heartbreak under the skin. It’s no accident. Giveon and producers like Sevn Thomas and Matthew Burnett crafted the album through live jam sessions rather than pre-programmed loops, resulting in an emotionally organic feel. According to Rated R&B, the production is “soulful, cinematic, and grounded in emotional truth.”

But this isn’t retro for retro’s sake. Giveon filters classic instrumentation through modern storytelling pulling listeners into confessional lyrics wrapped in warm analog tones. The album feels like a film score to a life you might’ve lived but couldn’t explain.

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Track Highlights: Vulnerability as Virtue

Several songs on Beloved have already become fan and critic favorites, each spotlighting a different shade of Giveon’s brilliance:

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Twenties

This viral single, released months before the album, became an anthem for late-blooming clarity. In it, Giveon mourns the time he lost in a relationship that drained him:

Spend my time wondering whyI spend my 20's on you

In an interview with People, Giveon revealed the song was autobiographical. “I was going to write something more romantic… but I just wasted that time.” The live band performance video has since amassed over 15 million views, a testament to how deeply the track resonated.

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Rather Be

A haunting love ballad that dropped in May 2025, “Rather Be” leans into codependency, painted over soft piano and ghostlike harmonies. It’s a quiet desperation that feels as much like a lullaby as a breakdown. Critics have likened it to early Frank Ocean in its emotional restraint and vocal vulnerability (Rated R&B).

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Mud

The opening track sets the album’s mood. Dark, slow-burning, and deeply personal. Reddit users in r/hiphopheads called it “a perfect intro,” with one describing it as “like watching a black-and-white memory reel” (Reddit).

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Numb

An understated highlight, “Numb” explores emotional paralysis after betrayal. Giveon doesn’t over-sing, he lets silence and vocal texture carry the weight. AP News called it “a lesson in vocal restraint,” praising his ability to make heartbreak sound elegant, not excessive.

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Lyrical Discipline: The Art of Saying Less

Unlike many modern R&B projects, Beloved skips filler and fluff. There are no throwaway tracks, no excessive slang, and no gimmicky features. Giveon is writing for the long game. As he told AP News, he wanted the album to be “relatable for decades.”

This approach has not gone unnoticed. On social platforms, fans have praised the album’s consistency. One tweet read: “No skips. Just pure, uncut, emotional storytelling.”

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Reception & Commercial Impact

Beloved debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200, and charted in the top 20 in Australia, Canada, Norway, and New Zealand (Wikipedia). It’s also sparked a revival in slow-burn R&B an antidote to an industry often overwhelmed by club-ready singles and viral gimmicks.

The album’s reception suggests there’s still space for emotional complexity in a world that often favors surface-level sensation.

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What Giveon Represents Right Now

In 2025, Giveon doesn’t just make music, he restores faith in the art of emotional storytelling. At a time when AI voices and algorithmically-optimized pop threaten to strip music of its soul, Beloved is an act of resistance. It’s as though Giveon is saying: "Feel something or feel nothing at all."

If Take Time was his introduction and *When It’s All Said and Done... Take Time* was his experiment, then Beloved is Giveon’s declaration. He’s not chasing charts. He’s choosing connection.

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Final Word

Beloved is more than a follow-up, it’s a soul-bearing statement. Rich in sound, minimal in ego, and powerful in message, it confirms what fans already suspected: Giveon isn’t just one of the best voices in R&B. He’s one of the most necessary.

And if this is what his 20s sound like, we can only imagine what’s next.

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