CAOS by Miguel

Listen to CAOS: Apple Music | Spotify

We need to have a serious conversation about Miguel. Amidst the R&B powerhouses of the 2010s such as The Weeknd, Frank Ocean and PartyNextDoor to name a few, I’ve always felt like Miguel was the underdog out of the bunch. His music fit this niche between radio-friendly R&B and genre bending experimentation, albums like Wildheart had the perfect amount of groove and sensuality to appease the masses but at the same time, pushed sonic boundaries that his contemporaries (at least during his peak) couldn’t do/refused to do.

I say that because CAOS, Miguel’s first full-length album since 2017, serves as a reminder of his eclectic artistry. Much like his past works, it blurs the line between catchy R&B and genre-elevating sounds. Miguel creates a sonic soundscape that’s as sinister as it is seductive. While his writing sometimes get in the way and makes for a few sour moments, CAOS left a lasting impression on me, well after its 37 minute runtime.

From a production-standpoint, Miguel pulls from the 90s era of industrial music and grunge rock. The beats are heavy and the bass runs deep throughout CAOS, evident almost immediately in the album’s title track. The chopped up choir vocals and thumping bassline ebbs and flow, creating this nocturnal energy that’s felt through the entire album. Electric guitars and nasty riffs shine on songs like “Perderme” and “Nearsight {SID}”, the latter of which goes full post-punk.

More often than not, CAOS spends its time engulfing listeners into this dark world Miguel’s crafted, allowing listeners to embrace these sonics. Take the interlude “Triggered”, it pulsates as the beat builds and builds with Miguel’s vocals having a Kurt Cobain-like drawl throughout the chorus. More of the low-key moments like “El Pleito”, while slower, still have this underlying murkiness to it.

Performance-wise, Miguel soars and then some on CAOS. He flips between English and Spanish numerous times, offering up some nice surprises on the aforementioned “El Pleito”. His vocal runs sound incredible as well, the searing ballad “Always Time” shows this off as his delivery adds more emotion and sadness. Sometimes though, his falsetto on songs like “Angel’s Song” comes off as a bit awkward, as if he tried to emulate Prince’s voice. It throws off the vibe of CAOS at certain points, but luckily the album’s production makes up for it.

Lyrically, CAOS lives up to its namesake as Miguel explores the facets of chaos in his life. He bares his vulnerabilities on the album, “RIP” showcases his battles with his inner demons and how he copes when the pressure is too much: (“I rip when the weight bears down. Before I get edgy on my empty oscillations.”). Sometimes Miguel revels in it, especially the sexual nature of chaos. Finding a sadomasochist type of pleasure on “Triggered”; and getting unapologetically horny throughout “The Killing”. Miguel still makes room to humble himself though with a song like “Nearsight {SID}”: (“And I pray I can make peace with the past, ’cause tomorrow comes way too fast.”).

Grief also adds to the “chaos” of CAOS, as Miguel bares his soul on “Always Time”, inspired by his separation from ex-wife Nazanin Mandi, the singer puts listeners into his mind as he realizes the truth of the matter: (“Maybe this time love means letting go, letting go, letting go.”). It’s easily a major highlight on the album and shows that throughout the disorder, accepting ugly truths is another aspect that life will bring.

Among the confusion, love permeates CAOS. “New Martyrs (Ride 4 U)” not only acts as a Bonnie & Clyde-inspired tune, but also illustrates Miguel’s feelings towards the current political situation in the United States. Namely his devotion to stick by those affected by ICE Raids or the likes no matter what (This is also evident by the song’s music video as well.). “Angel’s Song” is an ode to not just the world, but to his son. Expressing that tender love and care from both the perspective of a father, but also of a human being (“You deserve a world that’s perfect. Sorry that I ain’t perfect, but there’s nothing that I wouldn’t do.”).

In the final track “COMMA/KARMA” despite it all, Miguel lives for the chaos his world brings. He eagerly anticipates it to continue (the “COMMA”) while acknowledging the trouble it can bring (the “KARMA”). It closes CAOS off with the sense that this is the world we live in. To embrace chaos is to essentially live in a real world, shedding your layers to find the real “you”.

With all this praise I have, CAOS does stumble. Namely in the songwriting as at various points, the references Miguel drops on the album either come off as sleazy or flat-out awkward. Such is the case with the Call of Duty namedrop on “Angel’s Song”, or the sexual connotations of “New Martyrs (Ride 4 U)” which does take away from the overtly political point of the whole song. I get what he was trying to go for, that balance between the carnal and the militant. On paper it might have been a good idea but in practice, the execution could’ve been a lot better.

Overall though, I was quite impressed with CAOS. As his first album in 8 years, Miguel took this opportunity to create a project that his uniquely his own. He’s not chasing streaming numbers or virality, he’s just putting out music that’s raw and honest. Using an aggressive/industrial approach and expressing his vulnerabilities works wonders here. Although he misses the mark with his lyricism and performance every now and again, it never took away from the grand scope of the album.

I’m giving CAOS a solid 7.5/10. I had fun listening to this, and it’s definitely one of the better R&B albums I’ve heard this year. It’s great to finally have a new Miguel album after so long, here’s hoping we won’t have to wait another 8 years for his next album.

Final Rating: 7.5/10

Favourite Tracks: CAOS, RIP, Triggered, El Pleito, Perderme, Nearsight {SID}, Always Time