“Orion” is the self-titled album of R&B artist Orion Sun. “Orion” is Sun’s third studio album, released on Sept. 20. Before the album’s release, Sun put out some of the songs in the album as singles. Those songs are “Already Gone,” “Mary Jane,” “Sweet” and “These Days.” The album is 40 minutes long, containing 14 songs. Orion Sun’s debut EP was released in 2022, titled “Getaway.”
Sun opens the album with the song “When I was In Love.” The song starts with 20 seconds of instrumental and humming. Sun starts to sing the lyric “when I was in love” repeatedly, like she was reminiscing on what love felt like. The song starts out and ends softly, the instrumental getting louder with the more Sun talks about the feeling of love. The song sounds like a hazy memory of how life used to be.
Most of the songs in the album start with 15+ seconds of instrumental, setting up the vibe of the song for its listeners. I liked the intros that Sun added into her songs, it felt like I was being eased into the song. Sun’s soothing voice paired with the calm instrumental creates a chill, relaxing vibe for the album, but if you listen to the lyrics in the album, they all follow a theme of love and what it does to a person.
My favorite songs in the album are “These Days,” “Nights Like This” and “Take My Eyes.” “Nights Like This” is the most upbeat and happy song on the album which is why I like it so much. The beats and melody remind me of driving with the windows down on a sunny summer day. “These Days” is one of the calmer songs in the album. The use of acoustic instruments adds to the relaxing energy the songs emit, reminding me of studying in a cafe with a dim light and comforting environment. Comparing those songs to “Take My Eyes,” you can hear the difference. “Take My Eyes” is “When I was In Love”’s sister. Both songs reminisce on how love felt which is where I draw the relation. The song is a plea, begging someone who’s in love to let Sun experience that feeling again through their eyes.
In Sun’s self-titled album, there are some songs that remind me of other artists’ signature sounds. The song “Mary Jane” has an instrumental that reminds me of a Fleetwood Mac song, and the song “Nights Like This” has a melody that reminds me of a violin that plays Billie Eilish’s song “BLUE.”
Sun closes her album with the song “Gannie.” When I first heard the song, the beginning reminded me of a Dominic Fike song with the high pitched voices. The song is like a letter to Sun’s grandma, using the nickname ‘Gannie’ when referencing her. The music gives the song a nostalgic touch, making it feel like you’re looking back at a memory with the continuous references on how Sun’s grandma used to sing to her.
“Orion” is an album for lovers, if you like Orion Sun, you would definitely like Daniel Caesar and Amie Blu.
“Orion:” ★★★★★
