If the name “Devon Hendryx” rings a bell to you, then you probably have heard a 15-second snippet of the instrumental of “Sakura” or his verse on “Neon Kitchen” on TikTok. I am no “niche-seeker”, so I can admit that’s where I found his music, too. But it wasn’t until I scrolled more and decided to shuffle his discography that I became aware of how “unique” his music is. No other word can describe the sound of Devon Hendryx; his albums display his range of talent, which is really boundless. In my opinion, what makes him unique isn’t just his raunchy, authentic, and flow of lyrics; it’s also the elements he uses. His lyrics and elements are what make his sound his own. Have you ever heard someone rap over a harp? Or have you ever heard someone use a piece of Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend” when rapping about American artist Charli Baltimore? Or even cover Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” and turn it into something that sounds so ethereal? He does what everyone in the music industry doesn’t always take the risk of doing: the unorthodox. It makes me appreciate his music more because of it.
As I have said, I started listening to Devon Hendryx after hearing an audio of his song “Neon Kitchen” on TikTok last summer. What drew me in, as well as many others, was the mellow instrumental he rapped on top of. It wasn’t a track you would hear A$AP Rocky or Lil B on, who are notorious for this style, but something “different”. Which is a bit cringe to say, but it’s the truth—it was genuinely a new sound to me. If I could describe it in a feeling, imagine a video montage of little shots of hills or city views, perfectly edited to give it that “living in the moment” feeling, and imagine you being there. That’s how I would describe the majority of his music, in the moment. I put the song in my playlist and kept it moving. Then I listened to it fully, and again, and again, on loop until the curiosity in me wanted to hear more. And when I shuffled his discography, a door to a higher level of peak opened.
I’d say since last summer, I have listened to a good chunk of his discography. I’d be lying if I said I checked every corner of it, although I can confidently say I listen to him on loop, like, every other day. So here are some recommendations from what I’ve discovered so far. To start, a popular but still amazing song of his is “Sakura”; it’s very cathartic and soothing. No lie, I listen to this song when I have a headache and I can feel the headache slowly disappear. And how Hendryx gently vocalizes with the melody, it ties everything together. If flowers could bloom only by a single song, it would be that one. If you just want to dip your toes into his discography, I would start there. A song I think impressed me the most was “Trophy Kids”. As I mentioned before, have you heard anyone else rap over a harp? And succeed? This song really gave me the biggest impression of him, like, is that even allowed? All the elements in the song don’t even make you initially realize that it’s happening; it all flows so perfectly together, you’re just captivated. The beat, the flow, the melody, and his lyrics all come together and work to be one of the most incomparable songs I’ve ever heard. It definitely has a place in his top 3. Lastly, I would recommend my favorite song by Devon Hendryx: “God Bless My Homegirls”. This song is also slow and very cathartic. It sounds like peace, contentment, “living in the moment”. In this song, his vocals are just everything, and the adlibs jazz it all up. I love this song because it makes me think about the beautiful people around me: my homegirls. Every time I listen, I am just reminded of all the memories I have with my friends, and how each and every single one of them is very special to me. The chorus is really just him singing “Jesus bless my friends”, but it’s probably my favorite. I feel this chorus a lot more because it’s the truth. I hope that my friends are blessed because they have blessed my life just by being in it. Overall, the song is beautiful, and I love how appreciative it makes me feel.
As you can see, I listen to music too intensely. But that’s what makes it so enjoyable! And listening to Devon Hendryx has definitely intensified the depth in how I listen to music. He’s an unpredictable artist, so listening to his discography allowed me to see what he was capable of. I started to take that approach of not just new artists I find, but even the ones I’ve been listening to for years, and I see the appreciation build from doing this more often. He’s definitely the artist I will cherish for that.
After reading this “glaze-sesh”, do you now understand how broken my soul will be if he isn’t my #1 artist on Spotify Wrapped this year? Like, it will genuinely shatter everything I’ve ever known, because how could he not get his rightful spot? If you do understand, check him out, expand your horizon, it’s boundless!