3 acclaimed albums celebrate their first birthdays
Last summer feels worlds away. If you’re looking to reminisce over last year’s pre-COVID nostalgia, these three albums are a good place to start. We may not get back to normal anytime soon, but at least these vibes knock as hard as they did when they first dropped and can provide a temporary escape from isolation.
Chance the Rapper, The Big Day
The debut album from Chance the Rapper received mixed reviews, but his fans were not disappointed. Stand out tracks include “Hot Shower,” “Get a Bag,” and “Handsome.” A year later, Chance is out here caping for a Kanye West presidency in 2020. How did we get here?
Dreamville, Return of the Dreamers III
J. Cole‘s legion of rappers dropped the impressive Revenge of the Dreamers III last July and it is still a vibe a year later. EARTHGANG, Bas, Ari Lennox, JID, and Cole himself carry most of the weight but features from the like so f T.I., Smokepurpp, and others help round out the compilation. in 2020, they followed up the recent classic with a “director’s cut” of the album with additional music. Since then, Cole got into an intellectual feud with NoName over his “Snow on the Bluff” track. His next album is on the way and should arrive sometime this year.
Jaden, ERYS
Jaden may go by his first name but he is indeed a superstar fitting of his last name, Smith. Being in his father Will Smith’s shadow may have opened a few doors for the young mogul, but he is his own person and his talent shined through on ERYS, the follow up to 2017’s SYRE. Revisit the deluxe edition and see that this project has aged well, even though that Will and Jada love turned into an entanglement.
