Two years after releasing “GABRIEL,” Alt-R&B singer keshi came back with his sophomore album “Requiem” on Sept. 13. Presenting an expansive repertoire of 13 songs, “Requiem” features “Say,” which was previously released on July 12, and the Aug. 9 release “Dream.”

Houston native Casey Thai Luong first caught the public’s attention in 2017, when he created a Soundcloud page using the stage name keshi — the nickname his fiancé’s parents gave him. He then broke through the mainstream in 2020 after releasing three EPs: ”Skeletons,” “Bandaids” and “Always.” Garnering over 250 million streams on Spotify combined, these title songs solidified keshi’s reputation as an Alt-R&B artist. 

While his fan base ranges across all ages, keshi’s music best connects with Gen Z. Primarily touching on experiences such as loss and longing, his music evokes feelings of connection, no matter who listens to his songs.

“keshi’s music is different and unique because his lyricism is something you can always relate to and the instrumentals and rhythm always makes me feel relaxed,” FHS sophomore Shraddha Kotakonda said. “His music is the kind you can play when you are going through a breakup, falling in love or even just when you feel happy and relaxed.”

With “Requiem,” keshi stays true to his signature sound as the album navigates through feelings of regret, loss and longing for a past lover. Starting with an ethereal cry of regret in “Amen,” keshi evolves through desperation in “Soft Spot” until listeners reach “Id,” a final plea for help before he gives up.

Here are some of our favorites:

Amen:

A beautiful choir accompanies keshi as he regrets being greedy and losing everything. Surrounded by synth chords in the background, keshi utilizes his high vocal range to convey the deepest emotions of regret and longing in this song.

Dream:

keshi overlays gentle guitar chords and flowing piano keys with soft vocals, while reminiscing about seeing his ex in his current lover. He sings, ”She’s a dream come true / But I have nightmares it should’ve been you.” This song is perfect for fans of Joji’s Glimpse of Us.

Euphoria:

Despite its positive title, “Euphoria” explores the struggles of a toxic relationship. Although he craves her touch and attention when he’s with her, he knows she will always leave him. 

Kotakonda elaborates on her thoughts regarding the new album.

“My favorite song in this new album is ‘Bodies,’” Kotakonda said. “I like this song in particular because I feel like the lyrics were something I personally felt and could relate to. I think ‘It happens all the time / You give your heart to someone / But they go and change their mind,’ is a really powerful line.”

The word “Requiem” generally refers to a token of remembrance. To keshi, it represents his internal struggles and emotions.

“Requiem itself, the title of the album and the title track of it, is about loss, and that’s something that I’ve wrangled with the past couple of years,” keshi said in an interview with Buzzfeed.

To Kotakonda, “Requiem” means something similar in that sense. “When I really listened to the lyrics, I felt a personal connection to the songs, and it made me realize that I’ve been through a lot.”