Earlier this year, we reminded listeners of the creative prowess of Los Angeles duo THEY (Drew Love and Dante Jones) with their Father’s Day tribute ‘Pops’, and now they’re back with another cutting track ‘What I Know I Now’. The title itself calls our memory further back to ‘What I Want’ with it’s grungy take on West Coast R&B and hip-hop, although it’s notable that the pair have delved into the pop arena for this sensual listen. Opening with two overlapping guitar styles and silken vocals, Dante Jones’ production gradually evolves with additional elements of hi-hat taps and heartbeat thuds. This is a purposeful composition that portrays the pensiveness of THEY and their guest star Wiz Khalifa, who comes in around 1:30 for a fire rap verse. Khalifa explains that for all his one-night stands, people sliding into his DMs, grand ambitions and bravado, he’d rather play it safe when it comes to that special someone. By the same token, THEY’s grunge’n’b stance ruminates on not being able to shake that feeling of trepidation; as Drew Love croons, “you had me thinking I’m crazy / Wish I knew what I know now.” It isn’t necessarily a positive or negative take on relationships, but more a realistic reflection of the thoughts that run uncontrolled through our minds when cupid hits. - Hannah Thacker