6LACK's 'Since I Have a Lover' is his post-therapy journey after 'depression, bad relationships'

6LACK is back.

The R&B star's new album, "Since I Have a Lover" (streaming now), is his first since 2018, takes a vulnerable look at his life after seeking therapy.

6LACK (pronounced "Black"), 30, went through a "four-year period of self-doubt, depression, bad relationships, creativity blocks, homelessness and money problems" before his success, he says.

The 19-track album "SIHAL" is the singer's way of showing fans they can still "thrive" after going through struggle, "if you seriously apply yourself and hold yourself accountable."

6LACK, born Ricardo Valdez Valentine Jr., broke through in 2016 with his debut album, "Free 6lack," which included the hits "PRBLMS," "Free" and "Ex Calling" and earned him two Grammy nominations. He scored his third nomination in 2019 for "Pretty Little Fears" from his second album, "East Atlanta Love Letter."

6LACK talks spiritual journey of his new album

But 6LACK's depression lingered and was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. He realized he needed help after one of the closest people in his life called him out for putting up the facade that he had it all together. "Things started to actually fall apart," he says, and he decided to start therapy.

Throughout his career, he has "promoted healing" and "spiritual and emotional growth," but in his rut, 6LACK says, he wasn't practicing what he preached.

This period of depression also affected the Baltimore-born, Atlanta-raised artist's music output. The singer and rapper often recorded and scrapped his work because he didn't "have something good to say. It's almost like, 'If you don't have something nice to say, don't say it at all.' "

The album's opening track, "Cold Feet," is a nod to his fears about having a comeback after his hiatus, "Spirited Away" describes his awareness that he's not exactly where he wants to be mentally but knows "where to go and I know how to do it," and "Preach" is about his desire to give back to his community.

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6LACK promises tour for album 'Since I Have a Lover'

6LACK is preparing to have a "therapy session" with his fans in the form of a world tour this fall. "We can go through each album and we can graduate from one feeling to another feeling and then end the show on the highest note" with his reflective "Since I Have a Lover."

The artist announced his upcoming North American and European tour on April 25, with tickets on sale starting April 26. 6LACK begins Oct. 1 in Portland, Oregon and ends in Oslo, Norway on March 3, 2024. "(I) haven’t been on the road since 2019, so this one covers all 3 seasons ('FREE 6LACK,' 'EALL' & 'SIHAL'), with plenty of intermissions in between," he promised on Instagram.

6LACK's moody sound has lent itself to many collaborations about love and heartbreak, including "IMPORTED" with Jessie Reyez, "OTW" with Khalid and Ty Dolla $ign, "Calling My Phone" with Lil Tjay, and "Love Songs" with Kaash Paige.

In contrast, "SIHAL" has minimal features, with Wale, Don Toliver and QUIN as the only collaborators. There are samples from Yebba and Sting, as well as interludes from close friends and family. This is 6LACK's "diary," and he's keeping the story close to home. "These are my thoughts, and I think I can pretty much handle it on my own," he says.

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Being 'neck-deep' in love shaped 6LACK's 'SIHAL'

"SIHAL" isn't just about his mental health, it's about love. "I'm knee-deep, waist-deep, neck-deep (in love)," he says of his relationship with fellow singer Bianca Qui?ones (known by her stage name QUIN). The couple made their debut in 2019 with collaborative single "Mushroom Chocolate."

"It's an everyday practice and I'm just starting to acknowledge it more for what it is and not for what I want it to feel like or what I want the end result to be," he says.

Toxic love is discussed in "Playin House," lessons learned from love in "Chasing Feeling," and the warmth of healthy relationships in the title track "Since I Have a Lover."

6LACK on fatherhood being a 'big mirror'

Love is also looked at through the lens of family. 6LACK's daughter, Syx Rose Valentine, 6, whom he shares with model Jaycina Almond, has been a part of his personal growth.

Fatherhood is "a big mirror," he says. "Even though it's really, really rewarding, it's also another reality check. … Somebody's watching your every move, your every emotion, your every moment."

Shaping her development has taught 6LACK to bring back his own "innocence" and experience joy in a more childlike state. "You can have fun and you can take off your cool and you can smile and you can laugh and you can be silly," he says. "It's just been amazing."

Unlearning has been a large part of 6LACK's hiatus, which is evident throughout "SIHAL." When fans listen to the album, he says, they'll quickly discover the answer to "Where has 6LACK been?" He has been hurting, healing, admitting when he's wrong, finding ways to make things right, and emerging as his best self.

As he says in his lyrics to "SIHAL," "Feel like a million bucks or somethin.' "

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 6LACK on tour 2023, new album 'Since I Have a Lover,' mental health