Fi-Né Shine On Their Mesmerizing New Album, “The Awakening”
By: Chris Buxton IG: @chrisbuxtonllg
One of the music industry’s best kept secrets, Fi-Né, have finally dropped their highly anticipated second album "The Awakening". “The Awakening” follows their debut album "Crossing Dimensions" that was released in 2020. The album blends elements of punk rock, electronic, rap-rave, and trip-hop genres, while incorporating a few elements of house, R&B, and dub reggae.
For those who are new to the duo, Fi-Né is composed of Taiwanese girl Suzy and American boy Philip. Fi-Né, pronounced similar to "fannei", the special name, comes from the imagination of the little two. The root of "Fi-Né" is transformed from the English "Fine", which means "good", and "good" literally happens to be a "woman" and "son", representing the two who belong to each other.
With roots that trace back to my hometown of Fort Mill, Philip has made incredible strides as an artist. It is great to see an artist from my area excel in his craft. As for Suzy, a native Taipei girl, studied classical piano since she was a child. She began to compose music at the age of 7, and she worked as a production assistant at Avex Taiwan. The duo both were inclined to make music from an early stage and finally crossed paths at Full Sail University in Florida. Since then, they have gotten married and created one of the most polarizing duos in music.
For me, although I’m new to their sound, I fell in love with how cohesive the album was. With involvement of multiple Grammy-winning and GMA-winning instrumentalists and engineers, the album features talented upcoming artists like L8ching and Mandark. It showcases exceptional talent and expertise, exploring the profound connection and empathy between individuals and the broader world, encompassing the universe and all aspects of existence. Drawing influence from multiple genres, Philip's distinctive and versatile rhythms, Suzy's ethereal vocals, and their sensual R&B tones create a truly unique musical experience.
Each song in the album unfolds as part of a continuous story, encompassing initial self-awareness, the struggles and casualties encountered along the way, and ultimately, a message of hope. The album's overarching goal is to foster a world free from misunderstandings, wars, and the limitations imposed by time and materialism. It aims to inspire change driven by love, living in a fifth-dimension brimming with light and trust.
This album not only had a digital release but also simultaneously released a physical cassette tape version, aiming to take listeners on a journey back to the 1970s with the nostalgic and melodic sound of cassette players. Overall, this was one of my favorite releases of the year.
