Issa Album
Issa Album | ||||
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Studio album by 21 Savage | ||||
Released | July 7, 2017 | |||
Recorded | 2016–2017 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 56:30 | |||
Label |
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Producer |
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21 Savage chronology | ||||
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Singles from Issa Album | ||||
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Issa Album is the debut studio album by American rapper 21 Savage. The album was released on July 7, 2017, by Epic Records and Slaughter Gang.[1] It features production from frequent collaborator Metro Boomin, alongside Southside, Pi'erre Bourne, Zaytoven, Wheezy, DJ Mustard and 21 Savage himself. It succeeds 21 Savage's collaborative EP with Metro Boomin, Savage Mode (2016).
The album was supported by the lead single, "Bank Account". Issa Album charted at number two on the US Billboard 200, and received generally positive reviews from critics.
Background
On February 9, 2017, 21 Savage announced the title of the album.[2] On June 29, 21 Savage revealed the album's cover art, along with the release date.[1] On July 2, 2017, 21 Savage confirmed the album's producers.[3]
Singles
The album's lead single, "Bank Account", was released to rhythmic contemporary radio on August 8, 2017.[4] The song peaked at number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[5]
Critical reception
Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 6.5/10[6] |
Metacritic | 70/100[7] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Consequence of Sound | C+[9] |
Exclaim! | 8/10[10] |
HipHopDX | 3.3/5[11] |
HotNewHipHop | 72%[12] |
Pitchfork | 6.5/10[13] |
RapReviews.com | 6.5/10[14] |
Spin | (mixed)[15] |
XXL | 4/5[16] |
Issa Album received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 70, based on 10 reviews.[7] In XXL, Scott Glaysher opined that the artist "manages to craft a fairly concise project with Issa Album about all the things that make him such a compelling rapper in today's hip-hop landscape."[16] Exclaim!'s M.T. Richards wrote that "Savage's strength of feeling against certain people cannot be overstated."[10] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times wrote positively, "Issa Album contains some of 21 Savage's best and most fully realized songs to date—especially "Bank Account" and "Bad Business"."[17] Justin Ivey of HipHopDX stated, "The budding star easily could have played it safe and stuck to a winning formula, which remains a strong suit (i.e. Issa's "Bank Account" and "Close My Eyes"). Instead, he challenged himself to be more musically ambitious. While his experiments didn't produce dynamic results, the positives overshadow the negatives."[11]
Steve "Flash" Juon of RapReviews.com said, "For better or worse the album also achieves a certain bland uniformity at times by staying so true to the trap aesthetic and having Metro Boomin produce so much of the music. It's not ill-conceived, it's just that it all winds up becoming a bit monotonous if you don't randomize it and/or mix in some songs by other artists."[14] Sheldon Pearce of Pitchfork states, "He is so compelling when he digs deeper into his psyche this way, providing more than superficiality, but there aren't enough of these moments to sustain Issa Album, which is as basic as its title."[13] In a mixed review, AllMusic's Neil Z. Yeung stated: "Overall, Issa is a competent statement that demonstrates promise from the young rapper."[8] Brian Josephs of Spin said, "Issa Album needn't be The Infamous, but it could've benefitted from a clearer and tighter direction."[15] Wren Graves of Consequence of Sound criticized the "repetitive odes to getting high, getting laid, and getting lots of money."[9]
Commercial performance
Issa Album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 with 77,000 album-equivalent units, of which 22,000 were pure album sales.[18] On October 19, 2017, the album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over 500,000 units.[19]
Track listing
Credits were adapted from Tidal and XXL.[20][21]
Issa Album[22] | ||||
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No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
1. | "Famous" | 3:54 | ||
2. | "Bank Account" |
| 3:40 | |
3. | "Close My Eyes" |
| Metro Boomin | 4:52 |
4. | "Bad Business" |
| 2:42 | |
5. | "Baby Girl" |
| Pi'erre Bourne | 2:49 |
6. | "Thug Life" |
| Metro Boomin | 4:23 |
7. | "FaceTime" |
|
| 3:59 |
8. | "Nothin New" |
|
| 3:39 |
9. | "Numb" |
| Metro Boomin | 4:31 |
10. | "Dead People" |
|
| 2:27 |
11. | "Money Convo" |
| Metro Boomin | 3:33 |
12. | "Special" |
| Wheezy | 3:37 |
13. | "Whole Lot" |
| 5:13 | |
14. | "7 Min Freestyle" |
|
| 7:11 |
Total length: | 56:30 |
Notes
- ^[a] signifies a co-producer
- ^[b] signifies an uncredited co-producer
- "Whole Lot" features additional vocals by Young Thug
Sample credits
- "Bank Account" contains a sample of Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson's original composition "Flashbulbs".
- "Thug Life" contains a sample of "Something He Can Feel", written by Curtis Mayfield and performed by En Vogue.
Personnel
Credits adapted from Tidal and XXL.[20][21]
Performers
Technical
Production
|
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/Sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA)[19] | Gold | 500,000![]() |
*sales figures based on certification alone |
References
- 1 2 "21 Savage Reveals Cover, Release Date for 'Issa Album'". XXL. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
- ↑ "Yes, 21 Savage's New Album is Actually Entitled 'Issa Album'". DJBooth. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
- ↑ "Metro Pierre Southside Wheezy Mustard". Twitter. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
- ↑ "Top 40 Rhythmic Future Releases". All Access. Archived from the original on July 20, 2017. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
- ↑ "21 Savage Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
- ↑ "Issa Album by 21 Savage reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
- 1 2 "Reviews and Tracks for Issa Album by 21 Savage". Metacritic. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
- 1 2 Yeung, Neil Z. "Issa Album – 21 Savage". AllMusic. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
- 1 2 Graves, Wren (July 11, 2017). "21 Savage – Issa Album". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
- 1 2 Richards, M.T. (July 14, 2017). "Future Islands: The Far Field". Exclaim!. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
- 1 2 Ivey, Justin (July 13, 2017). "Review: 21 Savage Attempts To Stretch His Musical Wings On "Issa"". HipHopDX. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
- ↑ Walker, Angus (July 13, 2017). "21 Savage's "Issa Album" (Review)". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
- 1 2 Pearce, Sheldon (July 12, 2017). "21 Savage – Issa Album". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
- 1 2 Juon, Steve "Flash" (July 11, 2017). "RapReviews.com Feature for July 11, 2017 – 21 Savage – "Issa Album"". RapReviews.com. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
- 1 2 Josephs, Brian (July 14, 2017). "Review: 21 Savage Hits the Limits of Nihilism on Issa Album". Spin. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
- 1 2 "21 Savage Shows Growth Isn't Only in His Bank Account on 'Issa Album'". XXL. August 4, 2017. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
- ↑ Caramanica, Jon (July 19, 2017). "In New Albums, 21 Savage and Playboi Carti Go Against the Flow". The New York Times. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
- ↑ Caulfield, Keith (July 16, 2017). "21 Savage & Haim Debut in Top 10 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
- 1 2 "American album certifications – 21 Savage – Issa Album". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.
- 1 2 "Issa Album". Tidal. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
- 1 2 "Listen to 21 Savage's 'Issa Album'". XXL. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
- ↑ "Issa Album by 21 Savage". Apple Music. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ↑ "Australiancharts.com – 21 Savage – Issa Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – 21 Savage – Issa Album" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – 21 Savage – Issa Album" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
- ↑ "21 Savage Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
- ↑ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 201728 on the field besides the word "Zobrazit", and then click over the word to retrieve the correct chart data. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
- ↑ "Hitlisten.NU – Album Top-40 Uge 42, 2017". Hitlisten. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – 21 Savage – Issa Album" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
- ↑ "21 Savage: Issa Album" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
- ↑ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums – SNEP (Week 28, 2017)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
- ↑ "Italiancharts.com – 21 Savage – Issa Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
- ↑ "Charts.org.nz – 21 Savage – Issa Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
- ↑ "VG-lista – Topp 40 Album uke 34, 2017". VG-lista. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
- ↑ "Sverigetopplistan – Sveriges Officiella Topplista". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved August 25, 2017. Click on "Veckans albumlista".
- ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
- ↑ "21 Savage Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
- ↑ "21 Savage Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
- ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2017.