The culty, genre-blurring R&B artist Dijon has been on a crazy trajectory over the past few years. As a military brat, Dijon Duenas grew up all over the world, and I just found out that he and I went to the same high school in Ellicott City, Maryland. Nobody prominent went to that school; the prominent-alumni part of our Wikipedia page is a disaster. Go Eagles, anyway. Dijon started out as one half of the duo Abhi + Dijon, and then he contributed to records from people like Brockhampton and Charli XCX. He released his debut album Absolutely in 2021. That album wasn't a blockbuster, but it's been a sneakily huge influence on artists from across the pop spectrum. Today, Dijon releases his second album, and it seems primed to become a big deal. It's also fucking awesome.
Dijon's main collaborator on Absolutely was Mk.gee, who has since become a huge ascendant star on his own. Dijon and Mk.gee share a similar sensibility, marrying classically luscious R&B grooves to twitchy, lo-fi production. As Mk.gee's name has grown, so has Dijon's. This year, Dijon made big contributions to Bon Iver's SABLE, fABLE and Justin Bieber's Swag -- two albums from guys named Justin who arrived at similar sonic places from very different directions. Just last week, Dijon announced his sophomore LP Baby. That album is out today, and I am really getting lost in it this morning. On first listen, it's a fascinating, transporting piece of music, and it's exactly what I want to hear right now.
Baby arrives with no advance singles, and the album's credits aren't available yet. On Instagram, though, Dijon says that he made it with "deep co pilot" Andrew Sarlo, a producer who contributed to Absolutely and who has worked with people like Big Thief and Nick Hakim. Dijon also mentions "the powers of" Mk.gee, BJ Burton, Henry Kwapis, Tommy King, and Tobias Jesso Jr., as well as the "deep fingerprints" of Bon Iver, Pino Palladino, Jenn Wasner, Jim-E Stack, Carter Lang, Buddy Ross, Eli Teplin, Alan Parker, Jack Karaszewski, Ryan Richter, and Daniel Chetrit. (Many of those same people also worked on SABLE, fABLE and/or Swag.) I'm not entirely sure how to describe the sound that Dijon and his collaborators have found, a sonic universe where smooth melodies and broken production work in concert, each enhancing the other. It's an experience. Listen below.
Baby is out now on R&R/Warner.
