serpentwithfeet is simply letting the pendulum swing nowadays. The Baltimore, Maryland-born singer-songwriter, whose influences include Geoffrey Holder, Toni Morrison, Brandy, and Nina Simone, is taking the natural steps as a versatile talent from chapter to chapter in his career. serpent’s third album GRIP is the result of these latest steps. GRIP finds its home on the dance floor of Black gay clubs and the intimate moments that happen there and afterward, no matter the location.

GRIP and the Black gay club share an interesting juxtaposition: the club is public; the dancefloor is obviously a place where people look at and watch one another. At the same time, the Black gay club is a safe community space, it is “for us”, and in that way is very private, very intimate. These clubs provided a different atmosphere for serpent, a different comfort, and a different sense of welcoming that nurtured him in a new way. This atmosphere will come alive in his upcoming dance theater production Heart Of Brick, a work that will “explore the loss of queer Black nightlife spaces and the stories that surround them.”

serpent’s third album explores the intimate forms of physical touch and how they occur. Whether it be a grip around the waist or the face, serpentwithfeet managed to explore all angles thanks to the second lens he looked through.

“Going out while working on the album and seeing how people stood at the bar when ordering a drink, Are they on their phone trying to disappear from the scene? Are they flirting with the bartender? Are they writhing slowly to the music? What does it look like when a guy runs into his ex and that ex is with someone new? I’m curious about all of this.”

GRIP begins with the lively dance record “Damn Gloves” with Ty Dolla $ign. The record kicks off the album for an unusual jarring yet exciting start to the project, one that goes against his track record of gentle and smooth album intros. “Safe Word” squeezes itself into the tightly interlocked relationship of partners who know each other very well. And “Spades” places monumental value on a loved one’s desire and patience to teach them how to play the card game that is so tethered to the Black community.

serpent set his attention on the world that he called home in the important adolescent and adult years of his life, and with this, we see a study of community on GRIP. This community had a huge impact on the LA-based singer, and through ten songs, he gives it its flowers with a body of work that highlights the moments that are most close to the heart. Throughout his seven-year career, serpent has exhibited this versatility through experimental R&B music that’s been in and outside of grim, spiritual, and joyous. Two years removed from his second album DEACON, serpentwithfeet continues to push the limits of his artistry with his third album GRIP.