The grand symphony of 21 Savage’s newest album, one of the most hyped up albums of the last year, dropped on January 12. American Dream, containing 15 songs with beautifully developed features from artists like Doja Cat to Metro Boomin, perfectly conveys his message about America and the social disparities he faced in society.
The first time listening to this album, I was hit with the same flow and the stereotypical lyrics that are heard from many rap artists. Although the songs had different beats the songs felt like they had no variety, especially since the first four songs were mediocre. Songs like “Sneaky”, “All Of Me”, “Sea the Real”, and “N.H.I.E” ft. Doja Cat did not stand out to me due to their mundane, cheap trap beats. Since the album contained songs with the stereotypical drill beat featured in many of the songs, American Dream left a redundant taste after listening.
However, I felt that songs such as “Redrum”, “Letter To My Brudda”, and “Prove it” all had unique touches and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to them. Redrum featured a unique sampling that he used for the entirety of the song, adding a nice sound that blended amazingly with the other elements. Track six featured vocals from Young Thug and Metro Boomin, showcasing each artist and their style; unfortunately, the beat was a little boring, limiting the song’s potential. “Letter To My Brudda” had a wonderful sample which he highlighted for the entirety of the song giving a heartfelt message to his brother, Jamie. Finally, “Prove It” ft. Summer Walker was great because of her two angelical solos, which were the only reason this song felt special.
“Should’ve Wore a Bonnet”, “Dark Days”, and “Red Sky” were the songs that were truly amazing for their musicality and features. The song “Should’ve Wore a Bonnet” was personally my favorite song because it has the perfect balance of Brent Faiyaz and 21 Savage, blending rap and RnB. “Red Sky” encapsulated 21 Savage’s music with a powerful beat along with the mashup of artists. The reason “Dark Days” was outstanding was because of the change in style, the song had a more melodic tone which was a great switch in mood.
Overall I think this album was great, but sadly not an album where every song stands alone as a great song. But, American Dream contained some amazing songs that I will definitely be adding to my playlists and are worth a listen.
