On April 23, Porter Robinson released his highly anticipated sophomore LP titled Nurture, sending the EDM community into yet another frenzy. The last time Porter stirred up this kind of noise was back in 2014 with the release of his debut album Worlds which completely flipped the idea of what EDM is upside down. Now seven years later, Nurture is finally here, and Porter is breaking barriers once again.
Filled with beautiful harmonies, boundless dreamscapes, and epic walls of sound, Nurture not only shows how much Porter has grown as an artist but as a person. On first listen, you can’t help but get pulled in by the allure of Porter Robinson and what his art represents. The word timeless comes to mind. Even though the songs are brand new, they create a familiar feeling of warmth and euphoria. It’s as if you’ve known this album your whole life.
Porter looks inwards with Nurture
If Worlds represented an escape from reality, Nurture represents Porter’s journey inwards as he faces his reality head-on. A lot has happened in Porter’s reality in between the release of Worlds and Nurture. After Worlds Porter watched his life speed past him. Consumed with the pressure of his newfound success, he found himself struggling to create something he was proud of.
Porter looked to his experiences for inspiration.
Porter used real experiences of emotion for inspiration. From high highs such as falling in love. To low lows, like watching his brother battle cancer, he experienced both sides of the spectrum of life. Nurture is about coming to terms with the realities and tribulations we all face and remembering the mindset that through it all, everything will be okay. “I didn’t want to keep writing about faraway dreamscapes. I wanted the album to be about the beauty of the real world because that’s what gets us through,” Porter told Apple Music.
The album’s theme is most accurately depicted in the second song, Look at The Sky. Inspired by the art he discovered in his 2016 trip to Japan, Porter emphasizes the importance of looking forward. “Look at the sky, I’m still here,” Porter sings as no matter what life throws at you, the sun will always rise the next day. There is always something to be grateful for and always a new beginning.
Throughout Nurture, Porter offers a remarkable window into his reality, whether it’s exploring the relationship with parents and the inevitable changes of growing up on Mother or confronting the demons buried inside his psyche on Mirror.
Nurture explores emotions like love and happiness.
Aside from dealing with the dark side of life, Nurture goes deep into the aspects of love and the potential happiness it can create. Sweet Time and Blossom are an emotional ride filled with luscious hues of sound as he professes his love for his Girlfriend, Rika.
There is also a deep connection with nature and the beauty of the natural world that helps Porter rediscover who he is and his purpose in this life. One of the highlights of this album is the semi-autobiographical track Musician. The track perfectly captures not only what it means to be a musician but the path Porter traveled to find himself. A musician’s path is filled with ups and downs and bursts of creativity. Being a musician is about constantly rediscovering who you are and enjoying the ride through every bump in the road.
Nurture is pure self expression.
Nurture is undoubtedly Porter Robinson’s most authentic representation of himself. Packed with real emotion, you can tell he put his heart and soul into creating something extraordinary. In doing so, he created a masterpiece the world can relate to. Everyone goes through different experiences. Some good, some bad, but at the end of the day, it’s the journey that counts. It’s what you make of your own reality.
Listen to Porter Robinson’s Nurture on Apple Music or your preferred streaming service!
One thought on “Nurture by Porter Robinson is Beautiful and Inspiring”