COLL – Blue Magic 3
By Libby Driscoll
COLL – Blue Magic 3
Born in Zimbabwe and now settled in Norwich after moving to the UK at the age of eight years old, COLL releases his latest mixtape Blue Magic 3. The ten-track mixtape is the third installment of COLL’s Blue Magic series and features a quirky blend of short narrative tracks and hard-hitting punches influenced by US hip-hop and UK grime. The energy that circulates throughout the album gives you the wide-eyed passion of a DIY mixtape alongside the self-assured attitude of an artist that’s been producing their own music for years. COLL has not faced the immense challenge of creating an EP on his own, however. Blue Magic 3 has been a huge collaborative and immersive effort between family, friends, and fellow creatives.
“I made BM3 with the sole purpose of collaborating with other people I respect and I wanted it to be fun and something you can listen to on repeat. It's my third mixtape and I feel very blessed to have come this far and to have worked with so many talented people along the way.
‘Coldest Winter’ features Sleep's Cousin, another artist from the east of England who is making big waves. I respected his work ethic and when we linked up in the studio, we made a song we were both happy with after just two hours. When I had produced the beat, I had to re-write my verse after I heard what Sleep's had done. He clearly wasn't playing around that day and It's always good to be kept on your toes. We both went in, no mercy.”
– COLL
COLL photographed by Bartosz Halicki
Throughout the mixtape, what stands out to me straight away is the pristine level of production; not only is it an aesthetic dream to have blasting through your speakers, but it radiates a sheer flair of stylistic focus. Featuring two of his existing singles L8 nights and the tongue-in-cheek Who’s That, Blue Magic 3 serves itself as an immersive listen, featuring four narrative tracks to break up and guide the recorded songs. Though the technique itself isn’t necessarily new, there are certain albums where it works seriously well, Blue Magic 3 being an example of this.
To ignite the journey, Wave feels like a grand entrance to the listening experience. Brassy synths mimic a regal style throughout the song, contrasting with COLL’s trap-triplet vocals and tight beats. The track is a great example of how an album should open- its snappy, it’s bright, and it grabs you by the collar.
Saved Me gives the mixtape its emotional depth, reflecting on darker days and giving thanks to those who helped him throughout the more challenging times of his life. The track discusses his battles with racism and acceptance as a black man, giving us an intimately raw and reflective perspective on his life experiences.
Swaying slightly from the influences of grime and hip-hop, Oh My embraces the drive of early 2010’s chart-pop, provoking a slightly more mainstream, accessible kind of style to the mixtape. The adaptation to different genres throughout the track listing is yet another element that keeps the fire of Blue Magic 3 fresh and holds you on your toes for each and every track.
COLL’s latest mixtape will be, “the final one in the Blue Magic series”, wrapping up a project complete with evolution and development. To see a young artist commit themselves to such a laborious project, and doing it well, is truly an inspiration to creatives of all ages. With the Blue Magic series coming to a close, I personally cannot wait to see what the new clean slate will inspire next in COLL’s journey.