Feature: "Jackpot" Fresh R&B Single From l.ucas
Talented artist and producer, l.ucas returns with his first solo release since 2020. After a few lighter songs such as “u4u” with Meltycanon and Timi O and “Dinner Party”, l.ucas’s new track “Jackpot” is striking in both its personal content and its highly stylized production.
“Self-taught producer and recording artist l.ucas masterfully constructs a world of his own creation through his music, drawing inspiration from internalized emotions, life experiences, and overthinking hypothetical situations. Floating atop a mix of organic-sounding Ableton production and tight rhythmic arrangements, his R&B, IDM, house, and trip-hop influenced sound truly transcends the genres that try to claim him.” - Deric Wagner (l.ucas’s manager)
Listen while you read
From the start “Jackpot” immerses the listener in a perfectly executed production. Beginning with simple percussion over a swelling synth pad and formant shifted vocals, the breaths in the phrases build anticipation for every line.
l.ucas gets personal with the listener as he starts with a drive to his significant other’s place. He lays out the options for what may happen - maybe he will go with the vibe and listen to her favorite song, maybe he will give her a call as he turns back. The meaning behind turning back is laced into the next two lines.
“I've been at your house way too much
I gotta bring my hands back home, alone”
The first of these lines emphasizes his anxieties about taking too much time away from his goals. The second line completes the thought, he would invite her to his home if he didn’t feel the guilt of not putting his hands to work, and creating music.
Photo Credit: Mac Lynch
Entering the chorus the listener is immersed into a wide and emotional soundscape, with an impactful addition of piano, a trademark element of his sound. The chorus seems to be broken into two sections; one that gives the title meaning and one that serves as the conflict in hitting the “Jackpot.”
“I just hit the numbers I wanted
No way am I sorry
No way am I sorry
Ohh
Still do anything that you want
Tell me you want it
Tell me you want it
Ohh”
In the first half, speaking of the success he’s found in his work, l.ucas doesn’t feel the need to apologize for working hard for it. The second half, however, exposes his uncertainties in how his ambitions affect his relationships. He searches for validation, looking for his lover to say that they still want him to do anything she wants.
Offering symmetry as we enter the second verse, l.ucas gets out of his car and nails down exactly how it feels to be home alone. Sitting in the dark l.ucas looks for answers on how to spend his time, but the walls have no answers to offer him.
We pass through another chorus and find ourselves at the turning point of the song. Almost appearing as a piece of the conversation on his drive back home, l.ucas tries to hide his own pain because he can’t properly explain how divided he is. With his vocals being dry of effects in comparison, this bridge feels the most personal and vulnerable.
Quick to build the energy again, we enter a repetition of the initial verse. However, this time the beat is driving us forward with full instrumentation. The stutter from the kick adds to the excitement of this second iteration, and the new plucking instrument adds a little more bounce to the groove. As the hook ends, we smoothly land in the final chorus.
Stripped down, the final chorus leaves us feeling the loneliness l.ucas describes. With his vocals formant-shifted for the first time in a chorus and no beat to drive us forward, it really seems that l.ucas has stopped driving his car and is now alone in his room. This chorus could almost feel peaceful in its solidarity if it wasn’t for the sudden and intense drum and bass-driven ending, as if having his peace is being interrupted once again by his conflict balancing work and life. The sudden end leaves the listener hanging and wanting to hit repeat.
Overall, “Jackpot” encapsulates the feeling of a solitary late-night drive, one that’s filled with questions and deep thought. l.ucas has masterfully created a song to vibe to, with his increasingly immersive production and powerful songwriting, this song leaves nothing to want except another listen. This release is yet another indicator that l.ucas has boundless potential as an emerging artist.
Be sure to check out l.ucas’s profiles (below) and recent releases “u4u” and “Forfeit,” as well as the work of his frequent collaborators Meltycanon, Timi O, and Layzi.
Photo Credit: Mac Lynch