“?” Album Review

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On Friday, March 16th, controversial rapper Xxxtentacion released his second studio album, the ambiguously titled “?.” Laced with eighteen tracks “?” is considerably longer than his previous album “17” which only had eleven tracks with none of them surpassing two minutes. Xxxtentacion chose to embrace multiple different styles of music, straying away from his signature aggressive style. The song structure for the majority of “?” feature infectious chorus’ but only deliver a single verse.

One such instance comes during the song “Moonlight” which showcases a glitchy instrumental that allows Xxxtentacion’s singing to flourish. X shows exceptional singing skills, but true fans of his want to hear the more lyrical side of his music; it would’ve been interesting to see X showcase some of his technical talent on more tracks.

“?” shows it has something for everyone, with Xxxtentacion showcasing his diverse talent to go beyond the hip-hop genre. The first chapter of the album details Xxxtentacion’s struggles with love, heartbreak, and depression with songs such as “Alone, Part 3” and “the remedy for a broken heart” detailing unhappier times in the young artist’s life. Transitioning from “the remedy for a broken heart” into “Floor 555” is a jarring derailment from the otherwise slow introductory section, where X adopts his signature hard-hitting aggressive style. The live instrumentation of “Numb” feels like a misstep, as neither the arrangement nor melody are particularly memorable. The lower half of the project is perhaps the most experimental as the styles transition drastically from the upbeat latin inspired song “I don’t even speak spanish lol,” back to a low tempo acoustic guitar to finish off the project with “Before I close my eyes.”

I’m disappointed that we got the same short music with a non traditional Xxxtentacion. I had higher expectations about him making a bigger breakout album that would topable his previous album 17.

— Jonah Yano

Overall, the album voted on by anonymous students came out to a 6/10, many not agreeing with the multiple styles and wanting a more structured project. Jonah Yano shared his thoughts about the album saying, “I’m disappointed that we got the same short music with a nontraditional Xxxtentacion. I had higher expectations about him making a bigger breakout album that would top his previous album 17.” Hopefully, in the future, he’ll stick to his traditional style and emphasize making longer music that his fans can have more appreciation for.

 

Picture Credit:

Who has the best beard on campus?

  • Mr. Keogh (24%, 7 Votes)
  • Mr. Fonseca (21%, 6 Votes)
  • Mr. Amerino (17%, 5 Votes)
  • Father Pat (14%, 4 Votes)
  • Mr. Leopoldino (10%, 3 Votes)
  • Mr. Takahashi (7%, 2 Votes)
  • Mr. Cambrareri (7%, 2 Votes)

Total Voters: 29

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Picture 1: BillBoard

Picture 2: HotNewHipHop