In a moment of global disillusionment as social unrest, race equality protests, and the crisis of a pandemic are weighing on the human spirit, R&B artist Emanuel’s debut EP makes its poignant arrival, fulfilling the true purpose of the artist: to reflect the emotions and times they are living through.
On releasing Session 1: Disillusion, Emanuel shares, “Debuting to the world on Juneteenth, a symbolic day in the celebration of freedom and emancipation for all enslaved Blacks in America, immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of love, hope and healing as the world shifts right before our very eyes.”
With each self-penned song on Session 1: Disillusion, Emanuel’s vocals, rich with emotion, unveil his process of coping with a disillusioned portrait of life through alternative therapeutic outlets such as self-reflection, sex, drugs, and relationships. Emanuel progresses towards, and ultimately descends into a state of disillusionment as the elation from the hope of meaningful human connection in ‘Need You’ deflates into a crushing devastation in ‘Thought It’d Be Easy’ that then coasts into the blurry synthetic high of ‘Addiction’. The EP closes with a divine remix of ‘Need You’, bringing fresh perspective to Emanuel’s hit debut.
Stream Session 1: Disillusion here
Following his international debut earlier this Spring with the release of his first single “Need You” and its globally collaborative video curated by Idris Elba OBE, – who also holds the role of Executive Producer – Emanuel introduces the first installment of ALT THERAPY with today’s release of Session 1: Disillusion, out now via Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company. Mixed by Gary Noble (Amy Winehouse, Nas, Fugees) and featuring original artwork by renowned contemporary visual artist FunnyTummy, Session 1: Disillusion explores the vulnerability that comes with self-work and uninhibited artistic expression.
As Emanuel shares in his Artist Manifesto:
“Alt Therapy. It represents so many things. It is healing. Healing for those things in the past that would have us in bondage, in depression, in sadness. Those voices that told us we weren’t important. It’s gratification for the yearning in our hearts to do something great for the people of this world.”
The reaction to Emanuel’s talent has been immediate from both the music industry and his rapidly growing fanbase. With the release of his debut single, Emanuel was named Apple Music’s New Artist of the Week, one of Amazon Music’s Artists to Watch, a Soundcloud Featured Artist and a Spotify “On the Radar” Artist. In two months, “Need You” has already accumulated millions of streams worldwide.
Session 1: Disillusion is the first collection of music Emanuel will share this year, culminating with the release of his debut album ALT THERAPY.
