Album Review: Young Thug's euphonic masterpiece - 'Punk'
After teasing the release of ‘Punk’ while dropping his 2019 album, So Much Fun, we finally have it. The YSL rapper comes off with a unique sound, it’s different from the rest of the music he has been putting out. Most of the tracks sound like they were recorded around a campfire with a bunch of guitars, a few carry flawless beats by Kanye West, Metro Boomin, Wheezy, Pierre Bourne, and many more.
The 20 track record features a heavy dose of artists such as Gunna, J Cole, Drake, Travis Scott, Future, Doja Cat, A$AP Rocky, Post Malone, and an appearance by Nate Ruess. Surprisingly, It brings posthumous features with Juice Wrld and Mac Miller. It brings us to the question, is the album worth it? What’s the downside? The best and the worst tracks? Get the full scoop below.
Is the album worth it?
The calm ambient quality of the album lightly guides listeners from track to track. There's plenty of acoustic guitars rather than strong catchy verses with lively hard beats. Thug shines as a vocalist on songs like “Stupid,” “Hate the Game,” and “Love You More.” And he’s able to get real and share personal stories on songs like “Die Slow.” Overall, it’s a strong effort that shows Thug trying some new things professionally and showing off his skills as a rapper.
“Punk is just real-life stories. The whole album is purified. It’s just real.” says Thug in an interview with Complex
What’s the downside?
The album might come off as too long to some people. Too many tracks have guitar-driven ballads. It is short on upbeat production which may be an issue for few listeners. In my opinion, thug could have cut the tracklist down to 15 songs.
Speaking with The Fader, Thug also explained that Punk is based on "real life" situations and was inspired by Tupac.
The best and the worst tracks?
“Livin it up ft Post Malone & ASAP Rocky”. Posty comes in with a catchy hook and we hear a different sound from Thug and flacko. The calm vibe and introspective tune of the song stand out for me. Tracks like Bubbly ft Travis Scott &Drake, Stressed ft J. Cole & T-Shyne, Day Before ft Mac Miller, Insure My Wrist ft Gunna tops my list as well. Nonetheless, I would lose songs like Faces, Die slow, Yea Yea Yea for sake of tightening the tracklist.
“It will surprise some people that I am speaking on what the youth is speaking on,” Thug in an Interview with COMPLEX.
This album really showcases Thug’s ability as a rapper. What are your thoughts on Young Thug’s new album? Let us know! Check out our latest post on Thug destroying Rolls Royce with Gunna and Metro promoting 'Punk' here.