To write his album Popular, Van Hunt cut himself off from all forms of culture except Frank Lizst’s “Hungarian Rhapsodies” and a morning radio show on the AM dial. He describes this experience as one of the best he’s had in his lifetime. But exactly how did this experience allow Van to write music that channels the grooviness of Prince and the funk of Sly and the Family Stone? Van may have secluded himself from much of popular culture but instead of producing a work that is bare and archaic, he makes a new album that is modern and hip. Hunt has released two albums and with each he has become more comfortable with the sexy and soulful musician that he is, achieving a sense of discovery that a child might get when looking at the limitless possibilities the world offers. In Popular, Van retains the excitement he possessed when he was first introduced to the world of music, but now he is more confident than ever.

It includes tracks such as “The Lowest 1 Of My Desires,” which is Van’s way of making it clear that sex is not as simple as we have been told, but uses a funky guitar line and pleading vocals to make us want it more. “Character,” an acoustic version of the same song from his last album On The Jungle Floor, has a simple but beautiful beat that details how in tough times true character shines through, while “Feelings” fills the air with the electrifying singer’s deep soul. Van says that Popular is meant to disrupt a little bit, and like any talented artists he has created a disruption that hits you just in the right place.