Polo G – “Barely Holdin’ On”

For my money, Chicago’s Polo G does melodic, emotive rap better than just about anyone else. (I was apparently the only person who thought that Polo’s last album, 2021’s Hall Of Fame, was an instant classic.) Next month, Polo will release his new album Hood Poet. For the past year, he’s been releasing a steady drip of singles: “Distraction,” “Bag Talk,” “My All.” Today, he’s got a new one.

Polo G’s new single is the sleek but sad “Barely Holdin’ On.” The track has six credited producers, including — eesh — Dr. Luke. It’s a big, streamlined production with a lot of heavily treated piano sounds and a mournfully catchy chorus. On the verses, Polo undercuts his mental-health talk by bragging about gunplay: “Ain’t hard to figure him out ’cause all his thoughts was tweeted/ We blew some shots to shut him up, that’s why his top was leakin’.” It sounds good, though!

In director Arrad’s video, Polo spotlights and spends time with some people who have gone through impossibly tough circumstances, including a kid who was shot and paralyzed when he was very, very young. Check it out below.

Hood Poet is out 9/15 on Columbia.