Sean McDonald
Sports Editor
“DAMN.”, this album is good.
Call it weird, call it uncollected, “DAMN.” impresses beyond expectations, and it does so in a fashion that nobody else in music is able to accomplish right now. The album is the utmost rawest expression of emotions in a tumultuous time in America due to the collection of unique concepts, and exceptional instrumentals.
Kendrick Lamar gained stardom through his previous studio albums “Section.80”, “good kid, m.A.A.d. City”, and “To Pimp a Butterfly”, and the release of unreleased projects called “untitled unmastered.”.
The album was released on April 14, 2017 and released by Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). “DAMN” features well known artists such as Rihanna and U2, along with production from Dr. Dre and The Alchmeist.
View photos here to check out more info on Kendrick Lamar’s new album
Lamar explores an ubiquitous concept on the album, dealing with public perception, self image and self worth, and the effects his music have had on popular culture. He does this shockingly well, yet the simplicity and upfront style of it is a real slap in the face. The inclusion of controversial topics throughout the album produces a greater attraction compared to other current hip hop releases.
Check out the New York Times’ review of the album
When it comes down to it, this album is really about a whole lot of things, but one thing that it is obviously about is human emotion and experience, which is noticeable by the all caps names of songs and the names of the songs being emotions commonly felt.
It seems that the emotional aspects of this album are encapsulated in two forms, the bold and aggresive style and the slower paced style. “DNA” is the perfect example of a well executed usage of a heavy instrumental paired with aggressive insightful lyrics about self worth and humans’ stark differences between each other.
Another example of this would be in “HUMBLE”, which was released as a single before the album but was added to the album. A catchy bouncing bass paired with lyrics that seem to be a countermove to the ever increasing idea of body perfection.
Watch an interview of Kendrick Lamar discussing his new album
Lamar has been know for his distinct creation of striking instrumentals. Most notably is the track, “LUST,” it perfectly encompasses a soothing jazz sample but remains to be upbeat and thrilling. His ability to balance jabbing lyrics while giving a message with a rhythmic head bouncing beat is marvelous throughout the album.
“DAMN” withstood critical acclaim and outshines his previous releases due to the incredible incorporation of political commentary and soothing jazz inspired instrumentals. The album is an outlash to popular perception and will not disappoint.
The album is available for streaming on SoundCloud and Apple Music, and is available for puchase on Itunes for $9.99.
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