Macklemore with "Marmalade" collaborator Lil Yachty
Despite being the poster boy for the curse of the sophomore slump, Seattle's famously white rapper Macklemore isn't slowing down — but he is flying solo. For his upcoming "The Gemini Tour," which lands at War Memorial Auditorium on Oct. 29 (the same night The Weeknd comes to Bridgestone, unfortunately), Macklemore will be performing without producer Ryan Lewis. In June, the duo announced they're parting ways, at least temporarily: "After the last tour, Ryan and I agreed that some creative space would be good for the both of us," Macklemore wrote on Instagram. "Ryan Lewis is my brother forever. We have been working together damn near every day for 9 years and it felt like the right time."
Perhaps a bit of a restart will do them good. They released 2016's This Unruly Mess I've Made to less-than-rave reviews — Pitchfork gave it a 5.1, the A.V. Club graded it a C+ and Rolling Stone only mustered up three stars — and the pair struggled to reach the same astounding success they saw with the release of their 2012 debut The Heist. Admittedly, that first album set the bar really, really high, but it probably didn't help Unruly Mess that the song "White Privilege II" was met with a storm of controversy for being so self-indulgent and shallow.
Hopefully, all that can be put behind them now. Lewis is staying busy with his own projects, including co-writing and producing the song "Praying" from Kesha's new album, and Macklemore is throwing himself into his solo career. He's already released two singles from the upcoming Lewis-less album — "Glorious" (featuring Skylar Grey) and "Marmalade" (featuring Lil Yachty) — and both tracks suggest Mackle-to-the-more wants to have some fun again. "Glorious" is dramatic and anthemic, like "Can't Hold Us," and "Marmalade" is more low-key, a bright and sweet summer jam. Neither are game-changers, but they still feel refreshing after seeing the rapper bite off more than he could chew on This Unruly Mess.
The Gemini Tour will be the first time Macklemore performs his new solo material live. Tickets start at $36 and go on sale right here this Friday, Aug. 11, at 10 a.m. Central.
