i61’s STORYTELL 2 doesn’t beg for attention — it earns it by doing less. Stripped of unnecessary theatrics, the album leans into intimacy and space, offering something that feels less like a declaration and more like a late-night confession. i61, long known for his dense, experimental production and abstract lyricism, takes a quieter route here. The result? An album that lands harder emotionally because it’s not trying so hard to impress.
The anime-inspired opening track — placed even before the traditional intro — sets a tone that’s more visual than sonic. It’s not just an aesthetic gimmick; it frames the record like a film, hinting at the narrative cohesion that follows. i61’s recent time in Japan clearly left a mark, not in a surface-level “weeb” way, but in how he structures space and emotion. You hear it in the pacing, in the restraint, in the deliberate calm between sonic peaks.
Guest spots from OG Buda, 163ONMYNECK, and Thomas Mraz never hijack the album. Instead, they fold seamlessly into the atmosphere — like different voices in the same dream. No one’s flexing for attention here; everyone’s in service of the mood. The features offer texture, not distraction.
Then there’s “ALIEN” — a track that doesn’t just stand out, it floats above everything else like a ghost signal. The production is ice-cold, minimalist, and nearly ambient. Tension builds not through drums or bars, but through space and repetition. It’s one of those tracks where the absence of sound says more than any verse could. The accompanying video — released through Forbes Young’s Telegram channel — mirrors that weightlessness with visual minimalism, driving home the sense of isolation the song captures.
What’s most striking about STORYTELL 2 is how comfortable i61 seems in this quieter, simpler skin. He’s described this album cycle as a conscious effort to communicate more directly — to move away from complex intellectual codes and toward something that lands on first listen. That intent is everywhere in the record: the production is lean, the lyrics hit faster, and the overall tone is more emotionally available than ever before.