Bryson Tiller is the fourth and eponymously-titled studio album by American singer-songwriter Bryson Tiller. The album was released on April 5, 2024, via TrapSoul and RCA Records, and is his first full-length album in almost four years, following the release of Anniversary in October 2020. Production was primarily handled by Charlie Heat, alongside HeyMicki, Vinylz, Jeia, Scotty Lavell Coleman, Poo Bear, and Sasha Sirota, among others. It features guest appearances from Victoria Monét and Clara La San.[1]
| Bryson Tiller | ||||
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| Released | April 5, 2024 | |||
| Length | 48:50 | |||
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| Bryson Tiller chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Bryson Tiller | ||||
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Background and promotion
editPrior to the release of Anniversary, Tiller was working on a since-scrapped album entitled Serenity, in which he was waiting on sample clearances for to release in 2019.[2] The album was still teased to be his next project, even after Anniversary's release, but was quietly scrapped over the years.[1]
On October 31, 2021, Tiller released a mixtape, Killer Instinct 2: The Nightmare Before, on a private link that he texted to his fans using the community number he had made earlier in 2020. The mixtape featured a variety of freestyles over current beats at the time, including Normani's "Wild Side", Brent Faiyaz's "Gravity" and Busta Rhymes' "New York Shit". This was followed almost three weeks later by his first Christmas EP, A Different Christmas released on November 19. Tiller said the project was inspired by Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber, the latter of whom featured in the song "Lonely Christmas". Tiller's daughter Halo also appears on the closing track.[3]
On August 19, 2023, the mixtape Slum Tiller, Volume One was released exclusively on SoundCloud. This was the first in a series inspired by Detroit rap and the group Slum Village, and was also a way for him to put out new music without the restrictions of sample clearances. Volume 2 was released four months later on November 9, and featured the song "Whatever She Wants". On January 2, 2024, Tiller announced the weekly music program Tiller Tuesdays, which saw him release music on SoundCloud every Tuesday from January 9 to March 12, 2024.[4] Within the program, the third volume of Slum Tiller was also released, on January 23.[5]
On March 19, 2024, the album and its release date was officially announced with a trailer.[6]
Singles
edit"Outside" was released as the album's lead single on September 8, 2022, which sampled the Ying Yang Twins' 2005 single "Wait (The Whisper Song)". Its music video was released a month later on October 18, and featured an appearance from the Ying Yang Twins themselves.[7] A batch of singles were initially planned for the album after the release of "Outside", but due to sample clearances, the songs were scrapped and removed from the album.[1]
"Whatever She Wants" was released as the album's second single on February 13, 2024. Originally taken from Slum Tiller, Volume 2, the song was released on all streaming platforms after gaining popularity on TikTok,[8] and featured a new second verse, unlike the original SoundCloud version.
"Calypso" was the album's third single, released on March 19, 2024, along with the album's preorder.[9]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [10] |
| Clash | 9/10[11] |
| HipHopDX | [12] |
Bryson Tiller was met with positive reviews from music critics. Writing for AllMusic, Andy Kellman described the project as a "coherent LP of contemporary R&B ballads full of sweet nothings, boasts, grievances, and ultimatums".[10] Clash's Jessica Rogers wrote that the exclusivity of features on the album "pays off" as it allows Tiller to "shine a light on his incredible versatility". Rogers described the LP as a "sonic rollercoaster that leaves you feeling overwhelmed in a good way" before she concluded her review, noting that the album is a "soundtrack for every mood possible".[11] Will Schube for HipHopDX wrote that Tiller "[relies] on the power of his voice" which allows him to "[recontextualize] the genre", however, at times he "grows complacent", resulting in several filler tracks.[12]
Writing for Billboard, Kyle Denis stated that the LP honors Tiller's roots, "while also showcasing how wide-ranging his versatility can be". Denis stated that the record could have "benefited from some trimming" as some tracks lack substance and add nothing to the record. Concluding his review, Denis wrote that "Bryson Tiller is built to last through any season" and is a project for "lovers".[13]
Commercial performance
editBryson Tiller debuted at number twelve on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 39,000 album-equivalent units, (including 1,000 copies as pure album sales) in its first week.[14]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "http://" |
|
| 0:35 |
| 2. | "Attention" |
|
| 3:36 |
| 3. | "Stay Gold" |
|
| 2:37 |
| 4. | "Persuasion" (featuring Victoria Monét) | 2:49 | ||
| 5. | "Ciao!" |
| 2:05 | |
| 6. | "Peace Interlude" |
| 2:11 | |
| 7. | "Rich Boy" |
| 2:21 | |
| 8. | "Random Access Memory (RAM)" (featuring Clara La San) |
|
| 2:24 |
| 9. | "No Thank You" |
|
| 2:17 |
| 10. | "Find My Way" |
|
| 2:42 |
| 11. | "Prize" |
|
| 2:48 |
| 12. | "Waterfalls" |
|
| 1:44 |
| 13. | "Æon Lust" |
| 2:23 | |
| 14. | "Calypso" |
|
| 3:08 |
| 15. | "Outside" |
|
| 3:08 |
| 16. | "Undertow" |
|
| 3:58 |
| 17. | "F4U" |
| Charlie Heat | 2:02 |
| 18. | "Assume the Position" |
|
| 3:21 |
| 19. | "Whatever She Wants" (bonus) |
|
| 2:41 |
| Total length: | 48:50 | |||
Notes
Personnel
editMusicians
- Bryson Tiller – vocals
- Kennedy – horns (track 5)
- Vinylz – programming (tracks 6, 7)
- Boi-1da – programming (track 7)
- Johan Lenox – strings (track 11)
- Lauren Santi – background vocals (track 13)
- Leon McQuay III – bass (track 13)
- Jeia – guitar (track 13)
- Yasmeen Al-Mazeedi – strings (track 14)
- Sasha Sirota – guitar (tracks 16, 18); background vocals, bass, programming (18)
Technical
- Mike Seaberg – mastering, production assistance (tracks 1–14, 16–18); engineering (19), engineering assistance (15, 19)
- Jaycen Joshua – mixing (all tracks), mastering (tracks 15, 19)
- Michael "Black Mic" Williams – engineering (tracks 1–14, 16–18)
- Jacob Richards – engineering assistance
- Chris Bhikoo – engineering assistance (tracks 1–14, 16–18)
- DJ Riggins – engineering assistance (track 15)
Charts
edit| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[15] | 49 |
| Australian Hip Hop/R&B Albums (ARIA)[16] | 12 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[17] | 195 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[18] | 21 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[19] | 75 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[20] | 24 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[21] | 64 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[22] | 34 |
| US Billboard 200[23] | 12 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[24] | 4 |
References
edit- ^ a b c Rose, Jordan. "Bryson Tiller Announces New Album Details and Opens Up About Overcoming Criticism". Complex. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ Miss2Bees (April 20, 2020). "Bryson Tiller Quietly Released a New Song Last Week". The Source. Archived from the original on April 30, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Bryson Tiller Reveals 'A Different Christmas' Tracklist". Rap-Up. November 17, 2021. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
- ^ "⚠️Attention, Tiller Tuesday's will commence as soon as @neildominique @rcarecords @markkpitts all pick up the phone and get samples..." Retrieved March 19, 2024 – via Instagram.
- ^ "Slum Tiller Vol. 1-3". SoundCloud. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ Navjosh (March 19, 2024). "Bryson Tiller Announces Self Titled Album & Release Date". HipHop-N-More. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ "Bryson Tiller's New Video for "Outside" Features Appearance From Ying Yang Twins (Update)". Complex. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
- ^ Diep, Eric (February 13, 2024). "Bryson Tiller Shares New Song and Video for "Whatever She Wants"". Complex. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
- ^ Bernstein, Elaina (March 19, 2024). "Bryson Tiller Announces Album, Drops off "Calypso"". Hypebeast. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ a b Kellman, Andy. "Bryson Tiller Review by Andy Kellman". AllMusic. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ a b Rogers, Jessica (April 8, 2024). "Bryson Tiller – Bryson Tiller". Clash. Archived from the original on April 9, 2024. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ a b Schube, Will (April 8, 2024). "'Bryson Tiller' Album Review". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on April 9, 2024. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ Denis, Kyle (April 8, 2024). "Bryson Tiller Flaunts His Multitudes With Experimental New Self-Titled Album: Critic's Take". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 9, 2024. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ Vernon Coleman II, C. (July 23, 2024). "Hip-Hop's Biggest First-Week Sales for Projects in 2024". XXL. Archived from the original on August 4, 2024. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. April 15, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ "ARIA Top 40 Hip Hop/R&B Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. April 15, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Bryson Tiller – Bryson Tiller" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "Bryson Tiller Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Bryson Tiller – Bryson Tiller" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. April 15, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Bryson Tiller – Bryson Tiller". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ "Bryson Tiller Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ "Bryson Tiller Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 16, 2024.