The musical genius of Devonté Hynes

When I was thirteen, I watched Gia Coppola’s directorial debut Palo Alto (2013), and believed it was the epitome of cinema and storytelling. I recently watched the movie again and could not help but reflect on my young, endearing self and laugh a little bit. From a storytelling perspective, Palo Alto is a mediocre film. The plot is predictable, with characters that retain a comedic amount of angst and no real development. But despite its cinematic misses, the film’s sonic aesthetic decisions of synthy instrumentals have always lulled me into a trance. Palo Alto’s score quickly became a favorite of mine, which is when my admiration for Devonté Hynes, also known as Blood Orange, came to fruition.

Devonté Hynes is something of a modern Renaissance man: he is a singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer, and director. Hynes was born and raised in Ilford, United Kingdom, where he was part of an experimental dance-punk band called Test Icicles. After the band broke up, he formed his first solo project in 2007 under the name “Lightspeed Champion.” At this stage of Hynes’ career, his music was an intricate mix of folk and pop. But in 2011, the artist made a shift toward sounds of sweet, experimental pop with R&B elements and dreamy lyrics. Under the moniker “Blood Orange,” Hynes’ debut album Coastal Grooves (2011) was a romantic, euphoric record with infectious guitar licks and seductive synth sections. The record evokes style and flair, cementing the unique “Blood Orange” style that has grown in popularity. 

Blood Orange speaks to a large audience of listeners because he is not afraid to genre-bend; he leaves all of his sentiments out on the line, ready to be dissected mercilessly. In 2016, Blood Orange released his record Freetown Sound, which explores themes such as racism, masculinity, identity, and physical and spiritual migration. It’s an album that neither fears sensitivity nor shies away from the disturbing truth of police brutality and racism in the United States. A reference to the 2012 murder of Trayvon Martin, the track “Hands Up” is an anthem of warning, worry, and anger. Hynes consoles the people who are made victims of systemic violence, singing “Are you okay?” during the bridge of this powerful song. 

Freetown Sound holds space for an eclectic variety of musicians as features, including Debbie Harry of Blondie, Nelly Furtado, Vince Staples, Empress Of, and Carly Rae Jepsen.  These collaborations contribute to the record’s brilliant sonic nuance.  The album contains memorable riffs, bass lines, and drum beats that establish its status as a musical masterpiece. In addition, the album serves as a form of comfort and solace for listeners who understand the complexities of Blood Orange’s Black and queer identity. 

In 2018, Blood Orange released Negro Swan, which focuses on the imagery of evolving into a swan-like self —finding beauty in the black swan species, an animal of incredible beauty. When Hynes announced the release of Negro Swan, he stated: “My newest album is an exploration into my own and many types of black depression, an honest look at the corners of black existence, and the ongoing anxieties of queer/people of color. The artist described the record as a, “reach back into childhood and modern traumas, and the things we do to get through it all.” 

Hynes described the cohesive mission of the album, stating that, “the underlying thread through each piece on the album is the idea of hope, and the lights we can try to turn on within ourselves with a hopefully positive outcome of helping others out of their darkness.” Negro Swan is home to a plethora of feelings and sentiments. There are moments of despair in such songs as “Orlando” or “Runnin’,” but there are also instances where optimism shines through the darkness, such as in the track “Hope.”  

In “Charcoal Baby,” Hynes  sings: “No one wants to be the odd one out at times / No one wants to be the negro swan / Can you break sometimes?” Expressing his feelings of rejection in society as a person part of a marginalized community, Hynes’ lyrics are heartbreaking. The entire record oscillates between completeness and incompleteness of self, for the project is not defined by genre or musically restrained in any sense. Blood Orange sings directly to listeners, from the deepest parts of his soul, and produces the record with a sense of controlled spontaneity. It is a direct reflection of Dev Hynes’s own identity as a queer person and as a musician who is not controlled by anything other than his artistic perspective. 

An interesting aspect of Hynes’s oeuvre is that his work as “Blood Orange” drastically varies from his work as Devonté Hynes. As a solo artist, Devonté Hynes has made a complex career for himself, incorporating classical compositions in his musical pursuits while also maintaining the unique sound of Blood Orange. In fact, Hynes will be sharing his classical work at the London Symphony Orchestra in the Spring of 2023. He also performed multiple classical concertos at the Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra earlier this year. Beyond that, his composition and production skills continue to shine through effortlessly in a multitude of original film scores. Including Palo Alto, Hynes has scored visual media projects such as  Queen and Slim (2019), Luca Guadgnino’s original series We Are Who We Are (2020), Mainstream (2020), and Passing (2021). My adoration for the We Are Who We Are soundtrack knows no bounds. An elegant mix of classical compositions, riveting piano melodies, and with fluid synthesizers, Hynes’s score is a perfect blend of musical depth. What makes Hynes’s career so riveting and fascinating to me is his ability to fluctuate between different forms of music effortlessly. He is capable of developing art that never fails to intrigue and engages a diverse group of listeners. 

A true musical savant, Dev Hynes is also an accomplished producer for other artists such as Solange, Carly Rae Jepsen, HAIM, Mariah Carey, Blondie, Sky Ferreira, Tinashe, A$AP Rocky—the list is endless. There have been multiple instances in my life wherein I find a song, become hyper-fixated with it, check the credits, and discover that Hynes is a part of the project somehow. Whether his contributions are through songwriting or production, Hynes’ artistry infiltrates nearly all spheres of my music taste, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

This year, Blood Orange released an EP titled Four Songs (2022). This accumulation of grungy, crunchy electronic songs is overlaid with synth components and sensitive, ethereal, and pleasant vocals, which, grace listeners with layered harmonies and sentimental songwriting. Understandably, this sneak peek into Blood Orange’s future work is exhilarating for a superfan such as myself, and I cannot wait to further dissect the intricate genius of Devonté Hynes’s artistic power. 

Article by Natalia Girolami

Design by Lu Agnew