Over the last few years, Mugen! The Human has undergone one of the most profound artistic evolutions of any artist I have covered on CoW. From the lo-fi sad rap of projects such as Before You Go to the jazz-tinged boom bap of tracks like “No More Sad Songs,” Mugen has proven that he is not one to stay in the same place for too long. Mugen continues his ongoing metamorphosis with his new single, “Freaking You//IGOR,” where he is sounding more mature as an artist than ever before.

As the title implies, this track is a double-serving of sorts. The production on “Freaking You” is a melancholy trap banger with a soulful vocal sample reminiscent of something that would land on one of Mugen’s earlier projects. The beat on the second track is actually the instrumental to “New Magic Wand” by Tyler, The Creator, hence the title, Igor. This instrumental is an aggressive piece of hardcore hip-hop, something that is meant to be blasted at full-volume.

Lyrically, “Freaking You” sees Mugen diving into a situation with a love interest who he’s trying to pursue. Later in the verse, he flips it back on to himself when he starts questioning himself more and more. By the end of this cut, he is drowning in his own self-doubt. On “Igor,” Mugen completely flips the script, similarly to how the beat switches up. He drops a series of bars that are confident and braggadocios, showing that he’s more hungry than he’s ever been. The contrast between these two tracks is really something.

If “Freaking You//IGOR” is symbolic of anything, it’s the fact that Mugen! The Human is always turning over a new leaf. In a lot of ways, he is still the same melancholy sad boy he’s been from day 1. However, given how much his pen game has improved, it’s  clear that Mugen puts every bit as much care into making his bars sharp as he does into crafting a hit. With how much he has been leveling up lately, he is an artist you will want to keep on your radar for the foreseeable future.

“Freaking You//IGOR” is out now on Soundcloud. Stream it here: https://soundcloud.com/mugenthehuman

Follow Mugen! The Human on Instagram @mugenthehuman