Richmond-based underground rapper Young Wabo has had a busy year thus far. After dropping multiple EPs and singles in the spring, Wabo released Peace Blessings Be, a collab album with emerging New York rapper Perry Maysun. This project ended up being Wabo’s biggest yet, showcasing the strength and creativity of both artists over eclectic production. Now, Wabo is back with his first solo single since March, a complete left turn from the underground sound of his releases throughout the year.

“Somewhere USA” is a slow, meditative track over a drum-less acoustic guitar riff. This is a huge departure from Wabo’s sound, but it ends up working beautifully. The song sees Wabo searching for some sort of clarity in an unknown future with the repetition of “there’s somewhere I gotta be, I don’t know where it is”. This theme of confusion and frustration expands into thoughts of heartbreak, worry, and a general sadness about growing older.

Wabo has been teasing this track for weeks with lines like “high as hell in the Poconos” and “Tom Brady when I’m stuck in the pocket.” This middle section is one of the catchiest parts of the track, a creative way to detail the urge to escape from the world that comes with the loss of childhood. The song ends with Wabo accepting his past and where he is now as he sings “if I could go back in time, i’d do it over again.” These isolated vocals further show the rapper’s desire to return to a simpler time, despite him being fully aware that he can’t. The song is heartbreaking and somber, but a creative change of sound for Wabo and a great glimpse of what the artist has in store for the future.

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