– Fenton Wright, Web Services Coordinator
One of the most talked about projects of 2026 has to be Steve Lacy’s Oh Yeah? Not to be confused with the lead off track of the same name His 2026 release sees Lacy potentially at his most introspective as he, just like the rest of us, navigates love in an increasingly complicated and digitizing world that prioritizes physical over emotional attraction.
Come On, Come On, Come On
With “oh yeah?” Lacy sets the tone for the rest of the album. He throws us, ironically, into the middle of a fractured relationship that is on the verge of ending. The opening immediately hooks you with this bright poppy opening. The repetition of “come on, come on, come on” ending on a high note hooks you at once.
Directly following this bright opening are the only true lyrics of the song. Lacy puts us in the middle of his broken life. He describes the pain of losing not only a partner but also one of your best friends all in one line. As he is stuck on this one relationship, Lacy says that it feels like “life is moving on.” As his life moves around him, Lacy laments at potentially having to go through the pain of starting a new relationship.
To me, what makes this song so beautiful and so powerful is how Lacy blends his anguish and torment with obnoxiously upbeat and bright instrumentals. It almost feels like through the song he is trying to convey the feeling that he is someone who puts on this mask of happiness to the world while under it all he is barely staying afloat.
Nice Shoes
Oh Yeah?, to me is one of the most perfect albums to have come out this year. It captures raw emotion in a way that I don’t think many other artists are capable of. In a world where digital romance and distance between partners seems to become more prevalent with each passing year, Lacy captures all those feelings with ease.
The best and most popular example on the album has to be “the feeling.” There is a moment on that song where Lacy sings “Staring at your pictures wishing I was with you,” and, to me, it is almost love in 2026 to a tee. Other artists in the past have commented on the move to digital love, and Steve Lacy does it best.
What’s Next?
Luckily for all of us, Steve Lacy is playing in Boston live later this year Be sure to check out more Steve Lacy!
