GRAMMY®-Nominated Masego Gets Personal on FIX YOUR FACE
“...remains one of the most compelling artists of his generation.”
—GLAMOUR
Masego has always been difficult to put into one musical box, and on Fix Your Face (Capitol Records), that continues to be part of the fun. The GRAMMY®-nominated artist, producer and multi-instrumentalist’s third album is a 16-track mix of jazz, R&B, soul, gospel and Jamaican influences, but this time there’s a noticeably more introspective Masego at the center of it all. Nearly three years in the making—and born from more than 150 songs written during a period of personal change—the album finds him thinking about faith, relationships, grief, growth and where he comes from. The guest list is equally impressive, with Buju Banton bringing Jamaican tradition to “Hello,” Leon Thomas joining him on “QVC,” Keyshia Cole appearing on “Someone,” and Musiq Soulchild lending his voice to “Overthinking.” But the collaborations never overwhelm the record. Fix Your Face still feels unmistakably like Masego: adventurous, musical, groove-heavy and just unpredictable enough to keep things interesting.
Some of the album’s best moments come when Masego allows that musicianship to meet a little vulnerability. “Heaven” looks back at his Virginia childhood as a pastor’s kid, surrounding his voice with layered, gospel-inspired harmonies and turning memories of church, innocence and faith into one of the album’s warmest moments. “Breathe” goes deeper, tackling loss and healing with a restraint that makes its eventual emotional release hit even harder. Then there’s “Recommend,” which loosens things up considerably, revisiting the energy, attraction and social dynamics of house parties while giving Masego plenty of room to show off the multi-instrumental talent that first made audiences take notice. Together, the songs capture the balance at the heart of Fix Your Face: an artist who can still make you move while saying something more personal than he might have been willing to say a few years ago.
Born Micah Davis, Masego is a Jamaican-American artist, producer and multi-instrumentalist whose genre-blurring approach has made him one of contemporary music’s most distinctive voices. Raised in Virginia, he developed a sound that draws from jazz, R&B, soul, hip-hop and the Jamaican heritage that continues to inform his music. His breakout collaboration “Tadow” with FKJ became an international success, earning Platinum certification in the U.S., Diamond certification in Brazil and Gold certification in Mexico, while his Studying Abroad: Extended Stay project earned him his first GRAMMY® nomination. With nearly three billion global streams and performances across more than 40 countries, Masego has built an international audience without sacrificing the musical curiosity that got him there in the first place. On Fix Your Face, that curiosity is still very much intact—only now, he’s letting listeners see a little more of the person behind it.
For more info on Masego and Fix Your Face, visit Masego.com.
REVIEWS
“the expertly sequenced album never overstays its welcome” —Billboard
“Daring in its musical scope and unflinchingly blunt in its explorations of grief, memory, love, faith and lust, Fix Your Face is the perfect album to debut a bald head with.”
—Billboard
“Masego just might be entering a space where he no longer has to reflexively fix his face — and that’s a mode of vulnerability he hopes all Black men have the joy and luxury of experiencing in their lifetimes.”
—Billboard
"...built a career on defying expectations."
—GLAMOUR
"[Fix Your Face] is a small gold mine of open-hearted storytelling"
—CLASH
“The release signals a more introspective chapter for the genre-blending artist”
““Breathe” sees Masego lean into vulnerability like never before, pairing his signature fusion of jazz, R&B and hip-hop with stripped-back, emotionally charged production.”
—VERGE
"Fix Your Face is the most honest that Masego has been"
—GQ South Africa
“One of music’s most promising chameleons”
"a musical shapeshifter, the creator of a blueprint for a new kind of sound”
—NPR
"...a standout presence in the R&B/hip-hop fusion scene.”
—VIBE
