Hello, have I ever told you that I am a firm fan of and believer in the Desi Agenda? No? Well, I am. I love Brown Boy Joy and Brown Girl Magic. I love Bollywood movies and Desi-to-the-West a capella music. I aspire to one day eat real spicy food (I’m okay with never catching this whale, though).

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAUuZ9SDbWx/

It follows, then, that I really looked forward to Riz Ahmed’s The Long Goodbye. He didn’t disappoint, and I have more than a few faves on the album that I’ve had on repeat.

If you don’t know who Riz Ahmed is… I don’t know what to tell you about your poor life decisions.

Jokes. He’s best known as an actor. You may know him from hit miniseries The Night Of. You maybe saw him in Rogue One, Venom or in the quiet and uncomfortable City of Tiny Lights.

So yeah, he’s a musician, too. Because blessings on blessings on blessings, right? The Long Goodbye is a break-up album unlike any other, because Riz chronicles painful stories of his break up with… his own country. The album is accompanied by a short film – and it’s heavy stuff.

Trigger warning for violence.

As heavy as the content of the short film, and the album itself is – there’s some really catchy tracks here. The song you hear at the start of the film is Any Day, which is a serious vibe. Karma is another lowkey vibe.

Give the album a listen

Bop your head, and pay attention to the lyrics.

Mood Rating: Welcome to the Desi Agenda. We have great food.