Written by Marlee Price
On August 15th, 2025, Dijon Duenas, known by the industry as Dijon, released his sophomore album titled Baby. Although this is just his second studio album, the artist possesses a number of singles and EPs, and has made a name for himself by collaborating with bigger stars in the past, such as Brockhampton, Charli XCX, Bon Iver, and most recently, Justin Bieber.
Baby was much anticipated by fans not unlike myself. As I laid down to listen for the first time, headphones on, eyes closed, I could tell right off the bat that Dijon was exploring a new sound here. As a follow-up to his 2021 album Absolutely, this project was received by many fans with hesitation. It is highlighted by its experimentalism and instrumentalism, which in some aspects, contrast greatly from that of Absolutely. Concerning its lyricism, it is clear to see that this record is dedicated to Dijon’s wife as well as to his son, whose name is actually Baby. Each of the 12 tracks explores a different aspect of being a husband, father, or son. The recurring themes of romantic and familial love give the album true meaning behind its instrumentals and vocals.
Dijon begins the album with a title track that depicts how his relationship with his wife evolved from their first date to the birth of their child, for whom the album is named. The “Baby!” instrumentals even include baby sounds, no doubt recorded directly from the inspiration. Somehow, Dijon manages to create a melody that literally sounds like watching a family come to fruition. The slow and steady beat paired with the muffled guitar generates a hazy, home-video feeling that is the perfect opening to the project. The emotion in his voice is undeniable, as you can hear the smile he holds while singing. This track and the succeeding one, “Another Baby!,” fit together like puzzle pieces; here, Dijon moves from discussing their only child to discussing “expanding the collection”—having another child. This track is more energetic, comprising of a pounding groove and a guitar + keys combo that is sure to have the listener bobbing their head. For the song’s outro, Dijon turns the beat into a hip-hop sample that I honestly wish was longer.
Track 3, “HIGHER!,” includes a beat similar to the one in “Another Baby!,” except the mood is a tad lighter. Another song concerning his wife, it consists of Dijon crooning about her love taking him higher. The bassline acts as an anchor contrasting to the constant high keys and vocals. I think the next track “(freak it)” is meant to act as more of an interlude, but the production does not take a knee here. This song really slows it down with a percussion section that almost reminds me of being stranded on a desert island. The influence of Dijon’s close friend and musical accomplice, Mk.gee, is heavy in the deep guitar on this track. This song seamlessly transitions into track 5, “Yamaha,” which is currently the most streamed off the album. Its catchy melody is once again met with sick bass riffs and lyrics dedicated to his wife, while carrying creative usage of samples. With one listen, it’s easy to see why this song is the most popular.
“FIRE!” is one of the more experimental tracks, as it displays an inconsistent beat, layered effects, and is a little harder to sing along with. It serves as a testament to Dijon’s genius in the studio. In the second interlude, “(referee),” we hear vocal techniques that are prevalent in Absolutely, such as the straining that occurs when Dijon puts emphasis onto a lyric. We also hear him refer to his wife as “Annie,” alluding to the track titled “Annie” on Absolutely. Track 8, “Rewind,” has a serious tone that makes you literally want to rewind the song so you can pay better attention to the lyrics. In the way that the song’s facets are stripped back, so are the walls surrounding Dijon’s confidence as a parent. In being just vague enough to make you dwell on them, the lyrics reveal his wishes for time to slow down as he worries that his son will grow up to make the same mistakes he did. As the song goes on, his uncertainty swells along with the intensity of the ensemble. In my opinion, this is one of the better-written song on the album.
The next track is titled “my man,” and continues the same sort of tone held in “Rewind.” I think this song is addressing his torrid relationship with a father figure who hasn’t proven to be completely dependable. While the lyrics and emotion are complex, the musicality is quite catchy and easy to enjoy. Track 10, “loyal & marie,” is a slow and simple ballad concerning a girl named Marie, ending with the repeated wrestling of “Every red light home I think about if she needs me/Every red light home I think about if she’ll leave me.” The pace picks back up in the next track with “Automatic,” one of my favorites off the album. Here, Dijon samples a 1991 freestyle done by Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA and ODB. He compliments this with a beat straight out of that era of hip-hop, and a synth section that makes the listener feel as though they’re ascending. The album ends with a song titled “Kindalove”–just as the project opens with a love song about his wife, it comes to a close in the same way. The instrumentals on this track have a spacier feeling, allowing the listener to truly feel the kind of love that he feels about his wife
Overall, I think this record is great. Only certain artists are able to complete the feat of so clearly conveying this sort of emotion, and Dijon passes with flying colors. By blending sounds from so many different eras of music, he creates a new, exciting, unexpected sound. Although it is a little different than his previous work, this project proves that he cannot be confined to one genre, sound, or theme. I will be attending his tour in November, and I could not be more excited to hear Dijon perform these songs live.
Favorite Tracks: “Automatic,” “Yamaha,” “Another Baby!”
Rating: 8.8/10
Dijon. Baby. 2025 R&R/Warner Records Inc.