If you thought Josh Levi was just another TikTok name on your FYP, his new debut album Hydraulic is here to remind you that he’s built for more. The album just dropped under Issa Rae’s Raedio and Atlantic Records, anchored by 16 tracks that use the metaphor of hydraulic machinery to explore love, life, and everything in between.

From the jump, Levi sets expectations straight. He doesn’t want Hydraulic to be pigeonholed. He told press he refused to make “just a love album, or a club album, or a heartbreak album.” Instead, he wants this to be a mirror — a project where anyone, anywhere in life, can locate themselves.

The features are slick but purposeful. BEAM and FLO bring distinct textures to the mix, elevating what might’ve been solo introspection into collaborations that expand the emotional landscape. And in case the stans needed a reminder, his viral hit “Birthday Dance” gets a bonus-track slot, tying past moments to this bigger vision.

Levi’s roots back up the ambition. Born in 1998 in Houston, he made early waves as an actor, and later as a contestant on The X Factor USA. In 2021 he inked a deal with Raedio + Atlantic, giving him infrastructure and reach in a crowded R&B/R&B-pop space. His creative trajectory shows a deliberate building of trust, depth, and sonic identity.

In conversations, he reveals he’s been shaping Hydraulic over several years, carefully clearing samples (like “Don’t Go” with Destiny’s Child) and tending to every ad-lib. On tour with FLO, he’s spoken about resisting box labeling, finishing his “DISC” EP era, and what it means to grow as an artist with patience.

So why Hydraulic? Because when pressure is applied, true colors show. This is not just a debut — it’s a statement. If Levi plays his cards right, this album could be the bridge from “rising artist” status to a defining R&B voice for the streaming generation. Hydraulic offers more than catchy hooks: it’s a space to reflect, feel, and maybe even heal.