Yri Vanhove arrives with a knockout single, “Deal,” featuring Drilon, a track that feels less like a song and more like a compact short film. From the first moments, the record stakes out a world lived-in and raw: neighborhood codes, family ties, and the echo of things that won’t be forgotten. Yri doesn’t peddle platitudes; they deliver a portrait of survival that’s intimate, urgent, and oddly tender.
On the production front, the collaboration with Drilon sharpens the record’s edges. Percussive drill elements sit beside more melodic turns, giving the track a push-and-pull energy that keeps the listener off-balance in the best way. Drilon’s appearance isn’t just a guest verse; it’s a foil that enhances Yri’s perspective, trading barbed lines and breathy cadences to build tension and release. The arrangement trusts space, letting certain phrases hang so the emotion lands harder.
Rather than rely on headlines or bravado, the track sketches moments, loss, flames licking at a past, and newspapers filling with names and turns them into a quietly fierce argument for remembrance and respect. There’s a moral logic to the verses: people are measured, debts are accounted for, and legacy is more than what shows up in print. Yri’s delivery carries both rue and resolve, a reminder that strength can be braided from memory as easily as from muscle.
“Deal” marks Yri Vanhove as an artist sharpening their voice while staying rooted to community and consequence. It’s a compact, potent release that rewards close listening and repeat plays.