Successful Sophomore Album for Quinn XCII

Liza DuMez, Writer

Although popular worldwide, Quinn XCII’s new album, From Michigan With Love, makes you feel close to home.

27 year old Mikael Temrowski, also known as Quinn XCII, released his sophomore album on Valentine’s Day of 2019. The album consists of 12 different songs, all of which are full of meaning and tell different stories.

Quinn XCII was born and raised in Detroit and stated at one of his concerts that this album is “a tribute to the amazing childhood days he had there.” Because of this idea and his increasing growth in the music industry, he named his album, From Michigan With Love. Even though he is growing and branching out globally, he will always remember his Michigan roots.

There seems to be a common theme of love and relationships within the songs, which are mostly written about his fiancé, Macy Uekert. These themes especially stand out in the songs “Good Thing Go,” “U & Us,” and “Holding Hands.” His lyrics, not only in these songs but all, are original and flow well together. He has a gift for putting his feelings into words, making his music more enjoyable and relatable for the listener.

His lyrics create an optimistic outlook on life for his fan base of all ages. In “Life Must Go On” he sings about life’s many obstacles and how we should move on and not live in the past.

Huge fan Emily Cowen stated, “his music is so creative and fun to sing along to with my friends. I can never be in a bad mood when his new album is on.”  

Not only does this album portray positive messages and inspire people, but the songs and chords give Quinn XCII plenty of opportunity to demonstrate his unique voice and talent that make him different than most pop-singers.

The instrumentals in each song are without a doubt played by people with immense talent, but a lot of the songs sound similar. While listening to the album, it is often times hard to remember which song is which due to the very similar melody and beat.

One song sticks out in particular and not in a good way. Despite the fact that “Sad Still” is unique with its instrumentals (unlike the rest), it has a beat that does not fit with the album, let alone Quinn XCII’s music style at all. The rhythm of this song is fast, loud, and is played alongside his attempt to rap the lyrics rather than to sing them. This song is almost overwhelming and the album would be just fine without it.

This photo captures Quinn XCII playing his new album for his Chicago fans at the Riveria Theater in Uptown, Chicago.

Although some of the songs sound similar and “Sad Still” has some issues regarding rhythm, this album deserves more credit. Quinn XCII has been a rising pop star since his first album The Story of Us, which was released in 2017. From Michigan With Love will draw in more fans, helping his fan base to continue growing rapidly. Quinn XCII is currently on a tour and playing in around 40 different cities across the globe. If you have not already, you should either buy tickets to his next show or listen to his album because you will not regret it.

His unique sound draws the attention of millions of fans worldwide, and continues to inspire his “day one fans” from Michigan everyday.