ABRA – “Unlock It” (Feat. Playboi Carti)
Nearly a decade ago, the Atlanta singer and songwriter ABRA came up, bringing a snarly and vaguely gothic form of R&B that sounded overwhelmingly cool and otherworldly. ABRA released her debut album Rose in 2015, and she was active for a couple of years afterwards, but she’s been relatively quietly lately. In recent years, ABRA has shown up on tracks with other artists like Bad Bunny and Steve Lacy, but she hasn’t released anything of her own in a while. Today, though, she’s announced a major-label deal and come out with a very slick new single.
ABRA’s new song is called “Unlock It,” and it’s a smooth, clubby track with a beat that recalls both Atlanta trap and ’80s synthpop. ABRA co-produced the song with Boys Noize, and her old friend Playboi Carti shows up with a characteristically chaotic guest verse that fits the song’s vibe nicely. ABRA’s music used to be murkier and more atmospheric, but this kind of straightforward sound suits her well. Talking about the song in a press release, ABRA says:
“Unlock It” means so much to me for more reasons than I can count, and as someone very sentimental and nostalgic, it is truly a blessing to be able to unlock the next level of my career with a friend. I’ve always been so proud of what Carti’s been able to achieve and having the fortune of reuniting with him for this song specifically feels like a trophy to what the song is about — validation for the long winding journey it took to get here and makes me feel a little more at home in this crazy new world I’m about to step into!
Listen below.
“Unlock It” is out now on Polo Grounds/RCA.