Embracing the "Motto" NF review

NF “Hope” album release 4/6/2023

  Here at BlinkAlternative we have been pretty big fans of NF. When the single “Hope” dropped last month, we quickly jumped on to the live stream. We were completely blown away with the song and the cinematography of the video. To say we’re excited for the new album is an understatement.

  When NF dropped “Motto” two weeks ago it got me thinking. Looking into how he has come up and evolved, the challenges and his success. I have really been surprised on how he has just now been slowly blowing up recently, even though he has had a few hit song previously.

  Now this isn’t the first time NF has addressed the music industry, if you look at songs like “That’s a Joke” and “Paid my Dues,” he speaks quite clearly on the subject. So, it isn’t really a surprise that he comes back to it. I think what I like about this song is what seems to be his acceptance of where he is in the music scene.

  Now I could go into lyrics and talk about what they mean, or what the video portrays, but lets go into a different direction here. I am going to look at this song, NF, and his fans and how it reminds me of a certain movement in the 90s but how it is seems the industry is purposely trying to ignore him and sometimes it looks like they try to disregard him as someone unimportant.

  “Motto” has an attitude that has a similar feel to the 90s alternative scene. On top of that, a lot of what NF raps or sings about has a similar atmosphere to it along with fans that follow him. He has gained followers that are from a wide spectrum, from hip-hop to metalheads. He speaks on issues that may be about his life, but with a real and raw passion that makes me think a lot of artist like Kurt Cobain, Eddie Vedder, and Chris Cornell. Three men who were touring and one even signed to a label long before they were even famous, but defined and era of music that’s still felt to this day.

  When you listen to how artists from that era talk to reporters, they didn’t follow the status quo. They stood for who they were and strived to be, that’s what drove so many fans to them. They talked about tough issues that many wouldn’t even think of going near. I see NF doing a similar thing and he points it out in “Motto,” that if it ain’t broke then don’t fix it.

  He has an extremely valid point. I don’t mind a band evolving, but when I want to listen to an artist or band I am doing so for a reason. I don’t listen to the Foo Fighters expecting to hear Nirvana, I don’t listen to Audioslave expecting Soundgarden. I do not listen to NF, expecting to hear a similar rapper. I listen to NF to hear his music and he has mentioned that many a time. Many artists who change their sound many times lose fan. Green Day, Metalica, and many other artists have lost fans due to a change in their sound.

  And it isn’t like NF hasn’t evolved in his music, he certainly has gotten better and more polished the more he grows. But he still retains that sound that we all know and love. So, the fact that he is overlooked and not because of how he started but because in my opinion, the industry doesn’t seem to want to help give him a platform.

  I will say though here at BlinkAlternative we will continue to follow up on him and share as much of him as possible. His next Album “Hope” will drop on all platforms on April 6th 2023 and we will have a review following a week after.