I immediately thought of Ed Sheeran; didn't this happen with Drake, too?
It's interesting from the standpoint of "what songs are people obsessed with this week" but it definitely turns the Hot 100 into something besides "top singles of the past week"; maybe it hasn't been that for a while and it's only in the past few years of meme-hits and total album dominance that I've noticed.
― Rachel Luther Queen (DJP), Monday, 1 May 2017 15:10 (six years ago) link
It happened to Lemonade and Life of Pablo as well--whenever a big new album comes out, the Hot 100 gets all screwy because of 14 or so debut tracks from the huge new album.
― passionate plant-based athlete (voodoo chili), Monday, 1 May 2017 15:23 (six years ago) link
imo the Ed Sheeran week was a hilarious self-own by the people of the UK
― a landlocked exclave (mh), Monday, 1 May 2017 15:42 (six years ago) link
there's a few albums ever year -- like anything that "sells" ~350k+ in its first week? -- that place pretty much every song in the hot 100... drake definitely just did it
― J0rdan S., Monday, 1 May 2017 16:03 (six years ago) link
it usually seems like there's a people's champ pick that is higher than the rest of the album tracks... i.e. "passionfruit" or "too good" off views or "sorry" from lemonade that then becomes a single. maybe in kendrick's case "DNA" counts but they clearly already had a video filmed for that so it's not quite the same.
and then as you go down the chart there does seem to be an ordering effect
― J0rdan S., Monday, 1 May 2017 16:06 (six years ago) link
i walked into my local "Best Buy" today and purchased this on "compact disc"
bout to take the long way home from work
― alpine static, Monday, 1 May 2017 23:48 (six years ago) link
yeah the number of songs charting isn't unusual in this era. Beyonce and Sheeran pulled this off too.
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 1 May 2017 23:54 (six years ago) link
Your horse and buggy has a CD player?
Xp
― Οὖτις, Monday, 1 May 2017 23:55 (six years ago) link
if i gotta mean mug Οὖτις i'ma make it look sexxy
― alpine static, Tuesday, 2 May 2017 00:48 (six years ago) link
It's something Whiney nailed with his review, talking about the different levels of how "humble" and "pride" are explored in the album. At first the way so many songs would jump around to totally disparate beats really annoyed me in how jarring it was but I'm starting to come around on how well that works as a vehicle for Kdot exploring themes.
― piramjida, Friday, 5 May 2017 23:57 (six years ago) link
I haven't yet listened to this all the way through but I'm on my second pass through the first half - think I'm gonna listen to the end this time - and "Loyalty" strikes me as a screamingly obvious second single. I don't see how it won't be a huge hit. Obviously his skills are titanic, but he just keeps getting better at making records, doesn't he?
― Futuristic Bow Wow (thewufs), Sunday, 7 May 2017 06:37 (six years ago) link
The production on this is amazing in a way I'm not sure I've heard before. Can't pin it down ... beats you could build a house on, obviously, but also drama in the tracks that gives him a springboard without distracting from his lyrics.
― Uhura Mazda (lukas), Sunday, 7 May 2017 07:10 (six years ago) link
I may be the only Kendrick fan on ILM who's listening to "Humble" for the first time in May, but on first pass it's easily the weakest song on the record. "First pass" emphasized - I could be totally wrong here.
― Futuristic Bow Wow (thewufs), Sunday, 7 May 2017 07:19 (six years ago) link
nah you're probably right, but that's just because the rest of the songs are amazing
― passionate plant-based athlete (voodoo chili), Sunday, 7 May 2017 13:35 (six years ago) link
HUMBLE is okay. I didn't love it when I first heard it and it's not one of my favorites on the album.
― her squamous hamhocks (DJP), Monday, 8 May 2017 13:32 (six years ago) link
it sounds better as part of the album flow than as a single imo
― duped and used by my worst Miss U (President Keyes), Monday, 8 May 2017 16:49 (six years ago) link
^^^ agreed
― her squamous hamhocks (DJP), Monday, 8 May 2017 17:16 (six years ago) link
This is quickly becoming my AOTY. There are other recent albums that I was excited about, but I haven't given them much time because I keep coming back to this instead. Just flows so well, and no skipable moments.
― Moodles, Monday, 8 May 2017 17:26 (six years ago) link
― duped and used by my worst Miss U (President Keyes), Monday, May 8, 2017 12:49 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― her squamous hamhocks (DJP), Monday, May 8, 2017
this.
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 8 May 2017 18:39 (six years ago) link
third week at #1 y'all
― bunny slopes, Monday, 8 May 2017 23:49 (six years ago) link
The seagull sounds on Pride and the Rick James sample at the end of DNA are both such perfect touches to their beats.
I like the theory going around that the tracks should be listened to in reverse order to get different messages. I'm not sold that it was an intentional move by Kendrick but the way different themes are peppered throughout makes it work. Like how Element starts with Kid Capri introducing the "ain't nobody prayin for me" motif, but if you flip the tracklisting that announcement comes right after Feel, the song that's built around that line.
― Fetchboy, Wednesday, 10 May 2017 00:45 (six years ago) link
my daddy commissary made it to commas is a good line
― johnny crunch, Thursday, 18 May 2017 22:19 (six years ago) link
killer verse herehttps://www.audiomack.com/song/bottomfeedermusic/mask-off-rmx
― Chocolate-covered gummy bears? Not ruling those lil' guys out. (ulysses), Tuesday, 23 May 2017 16:05 (six years ago) link
was listening to this on the living room stereo the other day and started after skipping to the middle - made me realize how *slow* so much of this album is, tempo-wise.
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 23 May 2017 16:58 (six years ago) link
GIMME SOME GANJA!GIMME SOME GANJA!GIMMIGIMMIGIMMIGIMMIGIMMIGIMMIGIMMIGIMME SOME GANJA!
― The Anti-Climax Blues Band (Turrican), Thursday, 1 June 2017 06:19 (six years ago) link
Well, this has been out for a while now and a lot of listens and this one seems to be threatening to burn out a little faster for me than GKMC or TPAB, both of which I'm still listening to a lot, but 'DNA.', 'ELEMENT.', 'FEEL.', 'LUST.', 'XXX.', 'FEAR.' and 'DUCKWORTH.' all rule.
― The Anti-Climax Blues Band (Turrican), Thursday, 1 June 2017 07:04 (six years ago) link
The only reason I don't play this album 24/7 is because I don't want my kids to pick up the cursing and the n-bombs.
― PJD PDJ DPJ (DJP), Thursday, 1 June 2017 14:55 (six years ago) link
If you discount the opener, that's more than half the album!
xpost
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 1 June 2017 14:58 (six years ago) link
this is also a great album to listen to while hiking, especially when you're carrying a heavy bag
― ogmor, Thursday, 1 June 2017 15:32 (six years ago) link
this is gonna be one of the best albums of the year for me (and everyone else), no problem.
― Chocolate-covered gummy bears? Not ruling those lil' guys out. (ulysses), Thursday, 1 June 2017 18:57 (six years ago) link
Oh yeah, this is without a doubt one of my favourite albums released this year too, and yet another installment of what is turning out to be an incredible run. I don't think it's a 5-star, 10/10 album like GKMC or TPAB are, but it's incredibly close - more like a 4.999-star, 9.999/10 album. The only flaw I can really find with DAMN. is that it doesn't seem as endlessly replayable as GKMC or TPAB, but since those albums are (IMO) masterpieces, that's not really much of a flaw when it comes down to it.
― The Anti-Climax Blues Band (Turrican), Monday, 5 June 2017 19:15 (six years ago) link
this album is the best
― droit au butt (Euler), Monday, 5 June 2017 19:23 (six years ago) link
The only flaw I can really find with DAMN. is that it doesn't seem as endlessly replayable as GKMC or TPAB
I find the album to be endlessly replay-able. More so than Butterfly (I still prefer Butterfly). Replayability one of those things I can't explain.
― Van Horn Street, Wednesday, 28 June 2017 00:37 (six years ago) link
I've listened to this way more than the others
― Moodles, Wednesday, 28 June 2017 01:55 (six years ago) link
I can't stop listening to this record. First Kendrick record that I really got all the way into - I liked the last one but it felt like such a Big Weighty Artistic Statement that it was harder for me to find a way in (especially at my age, where I have less time to really delve into Big Weighty Artistic Statements). Maybe I'll go back and give it more time now. Damn has more straight bangers on it AFAICT, and that hooked me enough to dig more into the weighty artistic statement aspects of the album, which are also great. DNA is the first rap song I felt compelled to memorize in many years.
― the last famous person you were surprised to discover was actually (man alive), Saturday, 26 August 2017 14:50 (six years ago) link
Also the story on and behind Duckworth is insane.
― the last famous person you were surprised to discover was actually (man alive), Saturday, 26 August 2017 14:51 (six years ago) link
At least four or five tracks I can have on endless repeat.
― the last famous person you were surprised to discover was actually (man alive), Saturday, 26 August 2017 14:55 (six years ago) link
DNA seems to get a lot of play on Hot 97 too, which just makes me happy that something that amazing can still be a hit.
― the last famous person you were surprised to discover was actually (man alive), Saturday, 26 August 2017 14:56 (six years ago) link
agree w you ive played/enjoyed this 1 more than tpab
― johnny crunch, Saturday, 26 August 2017 15:44 (six years ago) link
I still think To Pimp a Butterfly is better, but DAMN. is still one of the albums of the year.
― more Allegro-like (Turrican), Saturday, 26 August 2017 16:48 (six years ago) link
Having children at an age where they parrot whatever they hear has cut down on the amount that I listen to this album but it's still my favorite of the year.
― this iphone speaks many languages (DJP), Saturday, 26 August 2017 17:04 (six years ago) link
Believe me I get it. The only reason I even got to give this record a chance is that I now drive to work. And with that it was sill totally by chance that I flipped the radio one day to hot 97 and had a head explosion, pull the car over moment when the beat change in DNA happened
― the last famous person you were surprised to discover was actually (man alive), Saturday, 26 August 2017 17:08 (six years ago) link
I've been impressed by its chart longevity too -- it hit #1 again a couple weeks ago and hasn't left the top ten.
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 26 August 2017 19:30 (six years ago) link
xp the *drama* of this record is one of its biggest hooks - the gunshot cutting off BLOOD, the escalation in DNA, that bit in FEEL where he snaps and rants for a few bars, the rage in XXX. He's just at the top of his game.
― attention vampire (MatthewK), Saturday, 26 August 2017 22:43 (six years ago) link
So many high points on this album but that first verse in woozy-as-fuck Pride where his voice keeps subtly mutating lower and higher makes me seasick every time in just the best way. What a triumph.
― Fetchboy, Sunday, 27 August 2017 07:21 (six years ago) link
I think this is his best album, hits a middle ground between the strengths of Good Kid, Maad City and To Pimp a Butterfly
― Universal LULU Nation (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 18 September 2017 14:31 (six years ago) link
It's his best album the way that Yeezus is Kanye's best album. It's not the album he'll be remembered for, but it's awesome and exciting and bold and perfect for what it is
― Evan R, Monday, 18 September 2017 14:39 (six years ago) link
I don't understand that comparison at all
― mh, Monday, 18 September 2017 14:40 (six years ago) link
in part because Yeezus is three quarters crap
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 18 September 2017 14:43 (six years ago) link
that's a good starting point for skepticism, to be sure
― mh, Monday, 18 September 2017 14:45 (six years ago) link