“[family affair]“ by Devin Summers

“[family affair]” by Devin Summers is a vulnerable hip-hop track about what it is like to grow up in an immigrant household. Summers imbues this track with raw honesty, getting real about how it felt to be emotionally neglected while understanding that it was mostly because his parents were going through their own struggles. He holds pain and acceptance together in a beautiful way, acknowledging how it was difficult for his parents to keep the family afloat, without ever minimizing the harmful ways it may have affected him.

A steady, catchy beat carries you across the song, remaining consistent as the vocal twists and turns on top of it. Summers’ flow is crisp, captivating, and dynamic, shifting the energy in all of the perfect places. Twinkling sonic textures meander through the arrangement as synth-like strings add a cinematic, emotional element to the song. The outro is particularly beautiful, drawing on dancing piano, shimmering harp, and those same strings to lead you out of the song.

Lyrics like “pop’s clocked out ten at night” and “age six and I know that I’m on my own” tell us about the conflicting emotions Summers is experiencing. He respects how hard his father worked, while at the same time remembering how hard it was to feel alone at such a young age. Other lines, such as “I feel whole again” and “I feel good in my own skin” show his growth into a confident and accepting person, who has reconciled with the fact that everyone is just doing their best.

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