6 standout songs from Dijon’s Baby

Dijon's sophomore album "Baby!" is a revelation. Four years after sharing the critically acclaimed Absolutely, and on the heels of basically co-producing a huge chunk of Justin Bieber's SWAG, the Los Angeles musician is back with another record baring his soul. This time, it follows huge life-changing shifts: becoming a father after having his first baby. From the get-go it crackles and is charged with all the euphoria and turmoil that could only color that pivotal tretch of life. It's an album that'll require listens and re-listens, but for now, see the songs that stood out to The FADER's staff immediately.

Dijon’s music is the stuff of life. You couldn’t listen to Absolutely without hearing the crackles, chair scoots, errant chatting, and his insane voice often straining to break the confines of your little headphone speakers. And yet none of that compares to the vitality that courses through “Baby!,” Dijon’s song about having a baby, becoming a father, and becoming that force of life literally, yourself. The way he writes about the experience is breathtaking, singing directly to his child about cyclical, replenishing love that brought it into this world: “Yes, I did dance with your mother before I knew her name/ Had a laugh with your mother, went on our first date/ What a beautiful thing.” The way he sings it is another thing all together, a beam of pure ecstasy and humanity. —Steffanee Wang

The performance film Dijon released as a companion piece to 2021’s Absolutely clearly lays out Dijon as a living conduit for Black musical tradition, one that transmits the history while refracting it through his own soul and experiences. “HIGHER!” is another ecstatic transmission built on jubilant gospel piano and sweeps of frayed electronics that cast monsoons over Dijon’s voice, which sounds closer to heaven each time he bellows the title of the track. —Jordan Darville

“I have to home in and get to Prince’s level,” Dijon said in a 2022 interview. There is a strong Purple influence running through Baby that suggests he spent those subsequent years getting close to his stated destination. It is on “Yamaha” that it comes through the brightest; the reverb-laden drums and chiming guitars that conjure potent ‘80s romance: crushed velvet, backcombed hair, and all. —David Renshaw

Perhaps the most outwardly freaky moment on Baby, “FIRE!” begins with a piercing electric roar before an interlude of sweet, gracious piano balladry. No weapon formed against Dijon shall prosper, thanks to the love and support of his partner: “Even if I hurt myself / She tells me that I / That’s I’m on fire.” As soon as he utters the track’s title, the song explodes back into wonky, utterly jubilant techno pop territory. Few songs about being untouchable truly sound like it, but “FIRE!” does. —JD

Dijon has obviously been spending a lot of time working with Justin Bieber, with his name appearing all over Swag's credits. “Automatic” feels like it could have also come out of those sessions, with the song acting as a reminder that new parents can still find time for intimacy, too. “I get it that it’s been a while,” he sings with one eyebrow raised, adding, “I want you to know how much I dig you, baby.” This not-so-subtle come on feels like the rarest of things: a bedroom-playlist essential for lovers looking to rediscover their groove. —DR

Dijon's Baby is largely an album of joy but there are also dark spots. One is "Rewind," a big tender bruise that feels like it's turning a darker shade of purple the longer you listen. It's hard to make out exactly what he's singing about, though it seems tied to Dijon feeling doubtful of his parenting while worrying about what he's passing on to his child. It's his delivery that's harrowing, his voice gnarled like an Oak that's been stripped bare in a storm. When I listen to "Rewind" it makes me think there's but a fine line separating ecstasy and agony. —SW