“When It’s All Said and Done is the conclusion to this chapter of my life,” R&B singer Giveon shares with HolywoodLife. The Long Beach, California native has released his second EP today (Oct. 2), a follow-up and spiritual sequel to Take Time, released earlier in the year. Over the course of four tracks, this new EP the tale started in Take Time, a story of heartbreak and a crumbling relationship. From the dramatic opening of the EP’s title track, Giveon paints a picture of a scorned lover still wanting validation that what they had was real (“Still Your Best”) to a glimmer of hope at reconciliation (“Last Time,” featuring Snoh Aalegra), to a sobering revelation (“Stuck On You”)
If When It’s All Said And Done has a big-screen vibe to it, that’s no mistake. With such expert songwriting and lyrics so honest and raw, Giveon has created a cinematic experience with his new project. “I want everyone to know this project has a story being told from start to finish and I was very particular with the sonics,” Giveon tells HollywoodLife, “as if I was scoring a film.”
Given said that he has “always been a fan of writing stories in general” in an interview with DJBooth, “so I would write little short stories first. And then the stories were taking too long, so I figured I’d write these stories in the form of songs. Because I listened to Frank Ocean and Miguel, I thought that that’s how people were supposed to sound, and if you didn’t sound like them, you probably sounded weird. I sounded nothing like them, so I didn’t know about my own voice. I wasn’t aware people would find my voice flattering until my mom pointed it out. Before that, I was just writing. But then I started to think I could make my own songs.”
Clearly, he was right. When it’s All Said And Done continues a banner year – all things considered – for Giveon. The former Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. mascot and dog walker earned his first million streams with “Like I Want You” in February. His Take Time, released the next month, was dubbed one of the Best Albums of the Year by publications like UPROXX, and he has earned praise from stars like Issa Rae, Brandy, and SZA. He also got the seal of approval from Drake, who featured Giveon on his “Chicago Freestyle” earlier in 2020. As when fans can expect more, they’ll have to enjoy When It’s All Said And Done for a few months. Giveon will grace 2021 with his debut album, starting a new chapter of his life while taking his career to a whole other level.
When It’s All Said And Done is out now.