Steve Lacy Might Have the Song of The Season With "the feeling"
We've been praying for times like this.
by JV Ordoñez
Published on Jun 6, 2026
At the heels of a bombshell announcement of Steve Lacy's inclusion in the highly anticipated LaLaLaFest in Manila later in the year, the R&B superstar has smashed his way into a new creative era with what could be the song of the season, "the feeling."
He quietly dropped the track on June 5, sporting a slightly grown-in buzz cut after he cheekily said he didn't know what else to do with his iconic braids.
"The heart takes what it wants; I'm not scared to bleed. Am I your baby?" are just some of the lines that loop in Lacy's soliloquy over the intentionally lo-fi instrumentation.
Lacy has been a prolific artist over the years, with features on records from hip-hop greats Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, The Creator, and Blood Orange, sprinkling healthy helpings of his signature velvety-smooth vocals and guitar work.
He's back after his eclectic comeback record "Nice Shoes," which is a more eclectic single from him as he plays around with a beat machine and him talk-singing over danceable electronic sequences.
"the feeling" is a return to Lacy's mastery over melodies and emotional hooks that remind us how much of a special and invaluable staple he is in the modern alternative R&B space.
The moody, dreamy, and somber track is a litmus test to how his forthcoming record "Oh Yeah?" is going to turn out sonically, as the LP is now set to officially come out on July 17.
Lacy channels his inner Lenny Kravitz in the unsettling music video where he makes uncomfortable eye contact with the camera as he croons lines such as "The devil is working hard to keep me alone. I know we're down to the wire."
Sonically, he keeps it simple with a persistent synth line, electronic bass, which is a dead ringer for something Thundercat would slap on, and an 808 drum kit. In a welcome return to his lo-fi ways (considering his proclivity to produce on just his iPhone back in the day), Lacy aligns himself with songs like "Candy" or "Alesis" by the prolifice Michael "Mk.gee" Gordon.
Listen to Steve's brand-spanking new and spiritually healing track below.
Esquire PH's resident music scribe, wristwatch disciple, and essayist fluent in niche internet subcultures and Philippine politics.
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