Marcus Atom sings with his chest. Eschewing the falsetto that defines much of contemporary R&B, Marcus stands out immediately—this is a different style, one that works in tandem with the honesty of his songwriting. If you want someone to know the truth about you, you say it with your whole body. Years in the making, his debut LP Love vs. War, out September 17, 2021, is a heartfelt album that draws on traditional and contemporary R&B, Chicago’s rich hip-hop scene, gospel, and alt-rock. His art is a sincere reflection on decades of experience—wrestling with demons and living life. It doesn’t sound like anything else in R&B right now because it isn’t trying to. This is Marcus Atom’s world.