‘Houston’ is his soulful reimagining of a leaked Brockhampton track, ‘LATE NIGHT (interlude)’. It traded the group’s hyper, provocative hip-hop to instead elevate Ciarán’s renowned, choral voice - which garnered devoted reverence during their run. The track’s official release as ‘Houston’, five years after the original leak, answers long-asked prayers from fans, who have been fervently awaiting his solo debut since the group disbanded in 2022. Its rebranding as ‘Houston’ sees a mellow trap beat traded in for a more casual, guitar-led sound to carry those same love-sick lyrics: “I need to find out a way to be with you / Under the Texas sky / I lie with you ”.
Despite it being a solo release, the single thrums with harmonious community. Casual, unhurried guitar is gently paced by an almost walking blues-style bass and backing. Atop, indiscernibly layered vocals radiate a vibrant, gospel energy. Combined with intuitive ad-libs (sprinklings of “Woo” and “Yeah”), the song emanates a joyous, if-you-know-you-know jam session; it’s warming and hums with the sensation you’re being let in on something special - privileged enough to hear it pour through a doorway of a room so bustling with talent.
Even on just his third solo single, Ciarán gracefully comes into himself - harnessing the warmth into a fully realised sound, like a wrap-around embrace. ‘Houston’ is a track that sings with the reverence of creativity and another steadfast step into Ciarán’s solo identity.
Evie Johnson
Image: ‘Houston’ Official Single Cover
If you enjoyed reading this article, please consider buying us a coffee. The money from this pot goes towards the ever-increasing yearly costs of running and hosting the site, and our "Writer Of The Month" cash prize.