Duckwrth's Vibe Guide: Celebrate Black L.A. summer playlist

May 20, 2021 12:12 PM PT

Los Angeles artist Duckwrth celebrated his birthday this month (and Taurus season) by urging his fans to dance naked in their living room to his bouncy new single “Birthday Suit,” featuring R&B singer Rayana Jay. He debuted the funky, house-inflected track at his NPR Tiny Desk performance for the SXSW festival in April.

To commemorate the official release on May 13, he shared a visual on Instagram: A slow pan of the singer-rapper lying horizontal in front of a brown backdrop with nothing on but Vans, chunky silver chokers and his tattoos. The only thing that kept him concealed was a funfetti birthday cake with lit candles.

It was a cheeky but on-brand move from the South L.A. native, whose music over the years has been as fluid and playful as his personal style: rings on every finger, cropped neon hair, on-point manicures and pastel suits.

Last summer, Duckwrth dropped his latest album, “SuperGood” — a quintessentially West Coast record that sounds like how it feels: a breezy drive down the 110 freeway on a sunny day with no traffic. The perfect ultra-chill escape for a year of shutdowns. Duckwrth’s latest is shaping up to be the soundtrack to what we hope is an entirely different summer vibe.