Exploring the genre shifting style of Genesis Owusu's debut album
Genesis Owusu arrives unrestrained from the expectation that music must adhere to genre specific guidelines on his debut album Smiling With No Teeth. While many might approach the record expecting the Australian rapper to, well, rap, he masterfully subverts expectations by pulling sounds from a bag of genres much deeper than I thought him capable of. While rap and R&B are present throughout the album, it wouldn’t be fair to the ambitious vision that Owusu materializes with SWNT to categorize this as hip-hop. Much like the Ghanaian turned Australian native himself, this album is anything but traditional, at least sonically as there are recurring themes and a powerful narrative which bind these multicolored songs together. To better appreciate the variety Owusu offers listeners with each track, let’s run through them one-by-one.
On The Move!
Genre : Electronic Punk
Owusu wastes no time injecting energy into the album. With an initial beat drop backed by cascading drums, he elicits the pitter patter of rapid footsteps. Not only does Owusu himself burst onto the track, but so do the metaphorical “black dogs,” a representation of his personal struggle with depression (this interpretation can be traced back to Winston Churchill who often used the metaphor) as well as racism, which is explored further in the second act of the album. Here, the rhythmic intensity lends to the idea that this is a chase scene in the album’s narrative. The hyper energy of the electronic beat pairs well with the sense of incoming danger inherent to Owusu’s warning verses. Add in Owusu’s own distorted scream to cap off his verse and it’s clear that the dogs (the album’s antagonists) have arrived.
The Other Black Dog
Genre: Dance/Funk
Here we see the title of the album come into play for the first time. While this song might sound upbeat and fun, the subject matter revolves around a dark depression that sets out to seduce Owusu (“I want to be your golden thorn/you’ll love me till you die”). With this track, Owusu literally announces that these songs will be deeper than they sound, dubbing this one “a tale of black dogs with golden leashes” which can be interpreted as dark themes covered in a glamorous shine. The unrelenting beat pairs well with the continuing motif that the dog is in constant pursuit of Owusu. Despite this terrifying chase, he plays it off as if everything is fine (“I’m being eaten on the inside/at least I look like a snack”). In this way, he’s “smiling with no teeth.” The image is there, but it’s only a fragile facade without support behind it (hence the fake golden teeth on the cover art).
Centrefold
Genre: Soul/Funk
This song is also sung from the perspective of the black dogs as it opens with the announcement, “the black dogs are back with another one.” This time the dogs take a sweeter approach by crooning over Owusu in this demented love song. Again, the tune may sound sweet on the surface but twisted lyrics (“I can say I got love for you/but I lied, turn your place into my home/put my fangs into your dome”) reveal the true nature of this abusive relationship. The chorus also features a reversed refrain that adds to the grooviness of the track. When deciphered, it says “A swimmer in the ocean isn’t bothered by rain, no fear no pain, no fear no pain,” adding to the idea that Genesis is too close to the black dogs to see the great danger they pose to him.
Waitin On Ya
Genre: Pop/Funk
The black dogs continue to entice Owusu on this track, revealing their strength while being more forthcoming about their intentions with him. Much like Centrefold, which Owusu considers as a sister track to this one, the song sounds sultry and sensual while the lyrics give it a darker tone. It features the longest intro of the album as Owusu describes his encounter with a merchant wearing a black fur coat, which we can assume is another metaphor for the black dogs. Also like Centrefold, Owusu’s band should receive most of the credit for shaping the upbeat tone of the song before allowing their melody to spiral into a sinister sound to close the track out. This ominous ending is likely meant to imply that the dogs have caught up to Owusu, which explains the “I can’t see you, catch up” outro.
I Don’t Need You
Genre: Pop/Hip-Hop
It’s easy to interpret this one as a catchy breakup song (and in a way, it is) but Genesis isn’t singing about a past lover here but the black dog instead. This is the first time we hear Owusu sing from his own perspective (note the bright red jacket he wears in the music video instead of the black one he dons for The Other Black Dog) adding to the track’s triumphant sound. As Owusu comes to realize he’s been tricked by the black dog, he shifts his focus to his wealth. Through some hilariously childish jabs (“I said your ass is stinky and you built like a mole”, “Just wait in the hallway babe/I don’t like the smell of broke”), Owusu finally gets his licks in. Listeners can’t help but bounce along with the infectiously freeing energy of this anthem, making it the most accessible song on the album no matter how you choose to interpret it.
Drown
Genre: 90’s Rock
If we consider this album as a journey that Owusu leads us on, this would be the first of many ventures off the beaten path. To accompany a sharp shift in sound, Owusu brings in the album’s sole credited feature, guitarist/singer Kirin Callinan. Callinan’s opening verse sounds reminiscent of a 90’s movie soundtrack before Owusu steers the narrative back into balance as he introduces the idea of he and the black dog being one in the same. He goes on to conquer this darker half (“Party’s over twin brother/I’m the winner here”) during a moment of clarity. The chorus implies that his depressive side wants to be “drowned” as well, though the rest of the album shows that this isn’t a permanent solution.
Gold Chains
Genre: Rap
It’s fitting that the first true rap song on the album deals heavily with the notion that stars of the genre must be draped in jewelry and gold chains. The song’s message revolves around a double entendre that Owusu creates within these gold chains, making them symbolic not only of wealth and status but of shackles as well. The hook, “when it looks so gold but it feels so cold behind these chains,” as well as some lines about the strain that accompanies such a hectic lifestyle (“I miss this and I miss that…somebody put me in the circus I’m the world’s best juggler”) both further Owusu’s message that rapping takes a mental toll on him. Still, Owusu demonstrates how he’s earned his fame with some incredible rapping on this track. Through just two verses, he fires through a notebook worth of rhymes. I counted 30 in just these 12 lines alone.
“But boy these demons gleaming, scheming, preaching, leave them
We'll deceive him, he's believing, say we're on his team then
But I've been bleeding, wounds have deepened when I chained my freedom
Reason weakened, beaten, ripping curls like I'm fucking Keenan
They think I'm beaming, I'm the beacon of the young and decent”
“What a profession
Sleep in sessions, curse or blessings, need refreshing
See progression 'cause I beat depression”
“I sanitised organic ties for my arise in modern times
I can't deny internal lies in hopes that I'd be televised
I sacrifice a gentle life for goals that leave me terrified
But pray this doesn't lead to my demise”
On this track, it definitely feels as if Owusu set out to show listeners that his rapping will always be the backbone of his music, even though it takes a backseat to some of his genre-bending sounds on the rest of the album.
Smiling With No Teeth
Genre: Soul/Indie Rock
This title track marks the middle point of the album. Owusu does this intentionally, calling this “the center point,” and “an intermission between act one and act two.” Here we see the album title explored a bit more as the chorus lists what society seeks but will not work for. If the concept of smiling without teeth is a metaphor for how we cover up our problems, then the chorus is meant to say that we’ll continue to do so until we actually get up and work towards fixing ourselves. Owusu strips his verses down to the bare minimum, neither rapping or singing, but performing spoken word verses which lap more of an emphasis onto his lyrics. The track builds up to the reveal of the album title in the outro as a crowd joins together in repetition of the phrase, making the phrase an earworm that’s sure to stick with listeners.
I Don’t See Colour
Genre: Rap
Genesis strips this song of the vibrant instrumentals that were present through the first half of the album, opting to take a more lyrical approach as he introduces the second black dog here. This dog is said to represent racism (“black dog” is also a racial slur that Owusu says he’s been called) and Owusu describes it as “much more direct and brutal.” The tone of this song supports that; there are no fun sounds, no dance-worthy rhythms and none of the swagger fueled humor that characterizes the rest of the album. Instead, Owusu delivers two verses describing his experience as a black man, one where he feels burdened by the weight his actions have on the rest of the black community (“cause somehow my actions represent a whole race/it’s hard to move different when your face is our face.”). Overall, the stripped back instrumentals focus the spotlight on some incredible lines from Owusu (“and the burning of a bush told me that I was great/but the burning of a cross told me to play it safe.”). The creepy background chanting is also very effective as it leaves listeners feeling a bit uneasy which matches up with Owusu’s own discomfort throughout the story he tells on this track.
Black Dogs
Genre: Punk Rock
Here we see Owusu continue to describe his run-ins with racism as he details what he calls “a day in the life of me, or just any black person in Australia.” The punk rock sound, which has often been a favorite of those who’d call themselves outcasts and misfits, meshes well with Owusu’s experience as a social pariah due to the racism present in much of Australia. With just two minutes to work with, Owusu is still able to inject this song full of as much emotion as it can fit, with angst and rage at the forefront (“touch the hair, you get snap like a mousetrap.”). In the closing lines of the song he focuses on how he’s “profiled to the letter” and viewed as a spectacle for the wrong reasons.
No respect till ya knowing who I are
I'm a bum or a motherfucking star
Hey you look like Will Smith from afar
Burnt boy so I guess I reach the bar
Black dogs!
Whip Cracker
Genre: Rock/Funk
Owusu’s frustration over how he’s treated by the public boils over in what might be the most aggressive song, lyrically and sonically, on the album. The metronomic drum pedal gets your head bobbing right from the jump, inviting you into Owusu’s energy as his voice breaks through. While he criticizes the bigots and racists that continuously harass him while being villains in their own right, the band rises behind him, growing more and more animated until Owusu drops out of the song to grant them center stage. Despite the loss of his barbed lyrics (“Spit up on your grave/hope my thoughts behave/we so depraved”) the emotional fire of the song never dips as the band rides the track out in an inspired two-minute outro that’s impossible to skip.
Easy
Genre: Funk/Rap
On this track, Owusu returns to the romance motif that was used heavily in the first act, though the couple he sings about is actually a metaphor for the oppressive and controlling relationship between people of color and the colonized countries they live in. Through two sonically-shifting verses, Owusu tells the story of a man (the person of color) who’s in love with a woman (the country) even though she’s unfaithful and dishonest. The man goes on to give his life for the woman who then shows her true colors, moving on to another man with blonde hair and blue eyes which she seems to favor more. The floating keys and background vocals give this track a bit of an 80’s feel as Owusu touches down on a runway of wildly different sounds in the final leg of the album.
A Song About Fishing
Genre: Folk
Amidst all the talk of unceasing sadness and racial tension on this album, you might’ve been looking forward to a nice relaxing song about aquatic life here. Owusu doesn’t disappoint either, taking on the role of a down-on-his-luck fisherman (complete with a change in tone and the biggest switch in sound on the album) recounting the toils of his day. On the surface, the song is fun, goofy, and easy to sing along with, which would be enough for many artists. Thankfully, Owusu is not “many artists” and there is more to unpack here. With metaphors galore in this album, it’s clear that “A Song About Fishing” is not actually a song about fishing, but one about a much more fun topic: depression! Each day the fisherman wakes early to cast his net in a “fishless lake”, which is an allegory for the hope of finding happiness in a state of intense sadness. To make things worse, when the fisherman finally comes across a school of fish, his net breaks and he’s left with nothing. Happiness remains elusive yet he still returns to the lake showing the perseverance that Owusu has said was necessary to conquer his own bout with depression. In using this thinly-veiled metaphor, Owusu allows his listener to either dive deeper into the heavy themes of the album or take a break with a cute little jig about fish. Either way, this is one of the highlights of the album and likely to be one of the most unique songs you’ll add to your playlists.
No Looking Back
Genre: 90’s Sitcom Opening Theme/Gospel
Owusu refers to this song as the “transcendental conclusion” of the album and for good reason. After the parable on perseverance that’s told in “A Song About Fishing” Owusu concludes his story on an uplifting note with this infectiously uplifting song. He proudly announces that his days of depression are behind him on this track, reminiscing on them through lyrics about self-love and acceptance that even sound like they’re delivered through a smile (there’s no chance that “now I finally see myself when I try thinking of love” wasn’t sung through a wide grin.). Owusu keeps the verses short here, allowing the joyful chorus to carry the song before the triumphant outro delivers us joyfully into the final track. As the horns come in and Owusu announces that he’s “cleared the water”, it’s impossible to leave the song without feeling a bit lighter than you did before.
Bye Bye
Genre: Funk
Owusu is careful not to give this album too much of a “Hollywood ending” by following up the most feel-good song with what might be the most ominous. This track is included to show that even though Owusu has overcome the black dogs, they’re still watching him, ever present. The chorus, “bye bye, crawling back to you,” illustrates this notion and the creepy vocals add to the intensity of this slow pursuit. I believe that Owusu does his best writing on this track, especially as he opens with several metaphorical questions calling attention to his own self-destructive tendencies (“How do I cry a stream then drown when I know that I see a boat…How do I crash inside the steel when I was piloting the plane?”). This self-interrogation builds up to a powerful final line (“told myself I won’t explode with a molotov in my cup”) that reminds listeners that the dogs and all their evil are still within Owusu. As the sounds of funk continue to build, so does Owusu’s aggression both in voice and lyric. There are several twisted lyrics that latch onto you (“Am I a shell of what I left?/A saint forever marked by the devils crest” and “Saw your smiling teeth but they were only fangs to destroy” both at the forefront) but it’s the closing lines that serve as an incredible payoff to the rising energy and leaves the door ajar for a continuation of this narrative.
“There’s a blade I can't sheathe
Slice my chest with the ease
I'm immersed in this sea
Is this your fur or is it me?
Black dog!”
After performing a case study of the black dogs through the album, Owusu adds one final twist to their characters by implying that he may be the source of all his problems. The dogs are a part of him and though he says that he’s put his dark days behind him, he’s aware that he and the dogs are one in the same. Here, Owusu forgoes a happy ending in favor of a view that some may call realistic and others might deem pessimistic: We might learn how to defeat our demons but that doesn’t mean they won’t ever be tied to us. It’s the translation of this idea as well as the climactic sound created by the band that makes this the best song on what may be the best album of 2021.
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