Melt My Eyez See Your Future is the fifth studio album by American rapper Denzel Curry, released through PH and Loma Vista Recordings on March 25, 2022. The album includes features from Robert Glasper, Buzzy Lee, Saul Williams, Bridget Perez, T-Pain, 6lack, Rico Nasty, JID, Jasiah, 454, and Slowthai, and production from Cardo, FnZ, Thundercat, JPEGMafia, and Kenny Beats, among others. It was preceded by the singles "Walkin", "Zatoichi", and "Troubles". The album received widespread acclaim from critics, with reviewers praising Curry's lyrical abilities and the album's production.
| Melt My Eyez See Your Future | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 25, 2022 | |||
| Recorded | 2019–2021[1] | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 45:10 | |||
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| Producer |
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| Denzel Curry chronology | ||||
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| "The Extended Edition" cover | ||||
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| Singles from Melt My Eyez See Your Future | ||||
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Background, promotion, and release
editDenzel Curry first began envisioning the album's themes in 2018, and began working on it after the completion of his 2019 album, Zuu.[1] In a May 2020 interview with XXL, he shared his plans to retire from making music after releasing three more full-length bodies of work.[2] His first collaboration extended play with Kenny Beats, Unlocked, was released on February 7, 2020, followed by a remixed version of the EP, titled Unlocked 1.5, on March 5, 2021. He revealed the album title in a November 2021 interview with Las Vegas Weekly.[3] Melt My Eyez is a metaphor for people's tendency to avoid facing difficult topics in day-to-day life, while See Your Future is motivation for moving on by putting one's past behind and focusing on what's yet to come.[1] The album's themes were also inspired by several classic works of cinema, including the Dollars trilogy, The Mandalorian, Return of the Jedi, Sanjuro, Yojimbo, Seven Samurai, and Ran.[4]
It is said to be his most mature body of work yet. He talked about retiring some of his past alter egos in favor of embracing his true personality and feelings through the music: "I'm not trying to be Zeltron. I'm not trying to be Aquarius Killa. I'm not trying to be Raven Miyagi. I'm not trying to be any of those personalities or any of those people. I'm Denzel. I'm a human being. I have feelings." He intended for the album to go in an entirely different direction from his previous works, calling it "the end of an era" and telling fans they were not going to "hear the same type of Denzel anymore".[5]
Curry announced the album on January 5, 2022, by sharing a "Western-style" teaser trailer to his official YouTube channel.[6] The short trailer depicts Curry walking through a desert alone while an appropriate instrumental plays, before displaying a list of people who are featured or have worked on the album, among them: T-Pain, Rico Nasty, JID, Slowthai, Thundercat, Robert Glasper, Karriem Riggins, and Dot da Genius.[7] On January 24, the single "Walkin" was released, along with a similarly Western- and sci-fi-inspired music video directed by Adrian Villagomez. That same day, Curry announced a North American and European tour with special guests Kenny Mason, Mike Dimes, Redveil, and PlayThatBoiZay.[8] On February 24, another single—"Zatoichi" featuring Slowthai, titled after the Japanese fictional character—was released, also accompanied by a music video directed by Villagomez.[9] On March 18, Curry revealed the album was to be released on March 25.[10] On March 21, a third single—"Troubles" featuring T-Pain—was released,[11] along with a music video starring the two.[12] The album was released on March 25, 2022.[13]
Extended edition
editOn June 1, 2022, a remix of "Walkin" featuring Key Glock, was released as the first single for the extended version of the album.[14] On September 30, 2022, the extended edition was released featuring 10 new songs recorded by Curry and the Cold Blooded Soul Band, as well as two previously unreleased songs— "Larger Than Life" and "Chrome Hearts" (featuring Zacari). The album was promoted with a livestream concert: Melt My Eyez: Live From the Komodo City Cafe, on September 29.[15]
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 8.3/10[16] |
| Metacritic | 85/100[17] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [18] |
| Beats Per Minute | 83%[19] |
| Clash | 9/10[20] |
| DIY | [21] |
| Dork | [22] |
| HipHopDX | 3.7/5[23] |
| Kerrang! | 4/5[24] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 8/10[25] |
| NME | [26] |
| Pitchfork | 7.3/10[27] |
Melt My Eyez See Your Future was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 85, based on eight reviews.[17] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 8.3 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[16]
Robin Murray of Clash described the album as a "breathless, breath-taking experience" and awarded it a score of nine out of ten.[20] Kyann-Sian Williams of NME gave it five out of five stars, calling Curry "the Renaissance man of Southern hip-hop" and praising his ability to "[provide] a priceless sense of self-discovery as he explores his countless facets."[26] David Crone of AllMusic applauded Curry's "reflections on past misdoings [...] while his verses are packed with slick wordplay."[18] Alisdair Grice of DIY said, "It feels like an album not caught in time, instead spanning and encompassing it".[21] Alex Nguyen from Beats Per Minute enjoyed the album, saying, "Melt My Eyez See Your Future is a profound exploration of the state of the world and Curry himself. He works with a diverse set of producers and collaborators to transform his sound and incorporates the aesthetics of Westerns and the samurai films that inspired them to disclose his inner feelings and personality".[19] Blaise Radley of Dork said, "Taken as a whole, this is the sort of cohesive artistic statement he's been aching to make for years".[22] Reviewing the album for HipHopDX, Ben Brutocao stated, "It's not an ambitious but heavy-handed declaration of truth (Ta13oo), nor is it an all-encompassing love letter to his home state (Zuu). It's just a rap album, albeit a very good one, and it shows just how dynamic and forceful Denzel Curry can be when he releases himself from the poisonous burden of perfection".[23]
Kerrang! critic Emma Wilkes said, "While this record isn't going to lure rock purists out of their dens, it has greater ambitions in mind, and the amount it achieves in the space that it does is staggering. For any artist of any genre, this is the textbook for innovation".[24] Writing for The Line of Best Fit, Steven Loftin stated, "An exploration of his wildest ideas and most focused inner thoughts, Melt My Eyez See Your Future comes together like a cataclysmic showing of everything he's learned, and most importantly, he's embracing himself".[25] In a positive review, Pitchfork's Steven Kearse said, "On Melt My Eyez See Your Future, Curry again retools his sound, trading livewire energy for introspection and vulnerability. The album lacks the vividness of his past releases, but its concept offers a glimpse into Curry's roving mind".[27]
Year-end lists
edit| Critic/Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beats Per Minute | BPM's Top 50 Albums of 2022 | 26
|
|
| Complex | The Best Albums of 2022 | 10
|
|
| Consequence | Top 50 Albums of 2022 | 43
|
|
| Kerrang! | The 50 Best Albums of 2022 | 22
|
|
| The Line of Best Fit | The Best Albums of 2022 Ranked | 18
|
|
| Loud and Quiet | Loud and Quiet Albums of the Year 2022 | 35
|
|
| NME | The 50 Best Albums of 2022 | 22
|
|
| Okayplayer | Okayplayer's 22 Best Albums of 2022 | 11
|
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| PopMatters | The 80 Best Albums of 2022 | 35
|
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| Spectrum Culture | Top 20 Albums of 2022 | 14
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Commercial performance
editMelt My Eyez See Your Future debuted at number 51 on the US Billboard 200,[38] and number 23 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[39]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Melt Session #1" (featuring Robert Glasper) |
| Glasper | 4:01 |
| 2. | "Walkin" |
| Kal Banx | 4:40 |
| 3. | "Worst Comes to Worst" |
| 2:50 | |
| 4. | "John Wayne" (featuring Buzzy Lee) | JPEGMafia | 2:36 | |
| 5. | "The Last" |
|
| 4:22 |
| 6. | "Mental" (featuring Saul Williams and Bridget Perez) |
|
| 2:26 |
| 7. | "Troubles" (featuring T-Pain) | 2:40 | ||
| 8. | "Ain't No Way" (featuring 6lack, Rico Nasty, JID, Jasiah and Kitty Cash) |
| 4:24 | |
| 9. | "X-Wing" |
|
| 2:56 |
| 10. | "Angelz" (featuring Karriem Riggins) |
|
| 3:51 |
| 11. | "The Smell of Death" |
| Thundercat | 1:20 |
| 12. | "Sanjuro" (featuring 454) |
| 2:07 | |
| 13. | "Zatoichi" (featuring Slowthai) |
|
| 3:30 |
| 14. | "The Ills" |
|
| 3:22 |
| Total length: | 45:10 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Melt Session #1" (Cold Blooded Soul Version) |
| Mickey de Grand IV | 4:01 |
| 2. | "Walkin" (Cold Blooded Soul Version) |
| Mickey de Grand IV | 4:40 |
| 3. | "Worst Comes to Worst" (Cold Blooded Soul Version) |
| Mickey de Grand IV | 2:50 |
| 4. | "Mental" (Cold Blooded Soul Version) |
| Mickey de Grand IV | 2:26 |
| 5. | "Troubles" (Cold Blooded Soul Version) |
| Mickey de Grand IV | 2:40 |
| 6. | "Chrome Hearts" (featuring Zacari) | 4:24 | ||
| 7. | "X-Wing" (Cold Blooded Soul Version) |
| Mickey de Grand IV | 2:56 |
| 8. | "Angelz" (Cold Blooded Soul Version) |
| Mickey de Grand IV | 3:51 |
| 9. | "Larger Than Life" |
|
| 1:20 |
| 10. | "The Ills" (Cold Blooded Soul Version) |
| Mickey de Grand IV | 3:22 |
| Total length: | 1:15:07 | |||
Notes
Sample credits
- "Walkin" contain a sample of "The Loving Touch", written and performed by Keith Mansfield.
- "Worst Comes to Worst" contain a sample of "Come Closer", written by Bappi Lahiri and Salma Agha, as performed by Salma Agha.
- "Angelz" contain a sample of "Nothing Left to Do", written by Mark Ellerbee and Linda Hargrove, as performed by After All.
- "Zatoichi" contain a sample of "Amen, Brother", written by Richard Spencer, as performed by the Winstons.
Personnel
edit- Denzel Curry – rap vocals
- Chris Gehringer – mastering
- Nathan Burgess – mixing, engineering
- Robert Glasper – keyboards (1), additional keyboards (8)
- Bridget Perez – background vocals (2), additional vocals (10, 13)
- Anna Wise – additional vocals (3)
- A-Trak – sampler (3, 14)
- Buzzy Lee – vocals (4)
- Mickey de Grand IV – additional keyboards (5)
- Sharina Castillo – additional vocals (10)
- Thundercat – additional vocals (11)
- Gaby Duran – additional vocals (13)
- Shawn K – additional vocals (13)
Charts
edit| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[40] | 12 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[41] | 62 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[42] | 38 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[43] | 100 |
| Irish Albums (OCC)[44] | 48 |
| Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)[45] | 36 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[46] | 17 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[47] | 7 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[48] | 73 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[49] | 30 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[50] | 13 |
| UK R&B Albums (OCC)[51] | 1 |
| US Billboard 200[38] | 17 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[39] | 11 |
References
edit- ^ a b c Pilley, Max (March 14, 2022). "The Long Game: Denzel Curry discusses Melt My Eyez, See Your Future for the first time". Loud and Quiet. Archived from the original on April 15, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
- ^ Krishnamurthy, Sowmya (May 5, 2020). "Denzel Curry Will Drop Three More Albums Before He Stops Rapping". XXL. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
- ^ Sampson, Amber (November 11, 2021). "Chatting with Day n Vegas Rapper Denzel Curry About Anime, Self-Growth and What's Next". Las Vegas Weekly. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
It's called Melt My Eyez, See Your Future.
- ^ Spotify [@spotify] (April 7, 2022). "Melt your eyez and queue these flicks up for your next movie night […]". Archived from the original on April 27, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2022 – via Instagram.
- ^ Centeno, Tony M. (January 7, 2022). "Denzel Curry Reveals New Album, Melt My Eyez See Your Future". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
- ^ Langford, Jackson (January 6, 2022). "Denzel Curry announces new album 'Melt My Eyez See Your Future'". NME. Archived from the original on April 17, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
- ^ "Denzel Curry To Release New Album Melt My Eyes See Your Future". Spin. January 5, 2022. Archived from the original on May 9, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
- ^ Price, Joe (January 24, 2022). "Denzel Curry Shares Cinematic Video for New Song "Walkin"". Complex. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
- ^ Darville, Jordan (February 24, 2022). "Denzel Curry trains hard in the video for "Zatoichi" featuring slowthai". The Fader. Archived from the original on March 18, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
- ^ Minsker, Evan (March 17, 2022). "Denzel Curry Releasing New Album Melt My Eyez See Your Future Next Week". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on March 22, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
- ^ A., Aron (March 21, 2022). "Denzel Curry & T-Pain Team Up For New Single "Troubles"". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
- ^ Callas, Brad (March 21, 2022). "Denzel Curry Enlists T-Pain for New Song and Video "Troubles"". Complex. Archived from the original on March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
- ^ Blanchet, Brenton (March 25, 2022). "Denzel Curry Shares Album 'Melt My Eyez See Your Future' f/ T-Pain, Rico Nasty, 6lack, J.I.D, and More". Complex. Archived from the original on March 25, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
- ^ Williams, Aaron (June 1, 2022). "Denzel Curry Recruits Key Glock for a Persistent 'Walkin' Remix". Uproxx. Archived from the original on September 25, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
- ^ Renshaw, David (September 27, 2022). "Denzel Curry announces Melt My Eyez See Your Future deluxe edition, recorded with 10-piece live band". The Fader. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
- ^ a b "Melt My Eyez See Your Future by Denzel Curry reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on April 6, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
- ^ a b "Melt My Eyez See Your Future by Denzel Curry Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Archived from the original on April 11, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
- ^ a b Crone, David (March 25, 2022). "Melt My Eyez See Your Future – Denzel Curry". AllMusic. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
- ^ a b Nguyen, Alex (March 28, 2022). "Album Review: Denzel Curry – Melt My Eyez See Your Future". Beats Per Minute. Archived from the original on April 9, 2022. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- ^ a b Murray, Robin (March 24, 2022). "Denzel Curry – Melt My Eyez See Your Future". Clash. Archived from the original on March 25, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
- ^ a b Grice, Alisdair (March 25, 2022). "Denzel Curry – Melt My Eyez, See Your Future". DIY. Archived from the original on May 1, 2022. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- ^ a b Radley, Blaise (March 25, 2022). "Denzel Curry – Melt My Eyez See Your Future". Dork. Archived from the original on October 5, 2022. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- ^ a b Brutocao, Ben (April 25, 2022). "Denzel Curry 'Melt My Eyez See Your Future' Is An Introspective Return To Basics". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on April 29, 2022. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- ^ a b Wilkes, Emma (March 25, 2022). "Album review: Denzel Curry – Melt My Eyez See Your Future". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on March 29, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
- ^ a b Loftin, Steven (March 24, 2022). "Denzel Curry – Melt My Eyez See Your Future". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on March 25, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
- ^ a b Williams, Kyann-Sian (March 23, 2022). "Denzel Curry – 'Melt My Eyez See Your Future' review: unexpectedly soothing melodies". NME. Archived from the original on March 25, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
- ^ a b Kearse, Steven (March 28, 2022). "Denzel Curry: Melt My Eyez See Your Future Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on April 2, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
- ^ Kohner, Kyle (December 15, 2022). "BPM's Top 50 Albums of 2022". Beats Per Minute. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
- ^ Breskin, Stefan (December 1, 2022). "The Best Albums of 2022". Complex. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
- ^ Shorter, Marcus (December 6, 2022). "Top 50 Albums of 2022". Consequence. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
- ^ Morton, Luke (December 19, 2022). "The 50 Best Albums of 2022". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
- ^ Ngyuen, Alex (December 5, 2022). "The Best Albums of 2022 Ranked". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
- ^ "Loud And Quiet Albums of the Year 2022". Loud and Quiet. November 28, 2022. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ Brown, Andy (December 9, 2022). "The 50 Best Albums of 2022". NME. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
- ^ Cummings-Grady, Mackenzie (December 20, 2022). "Okayplayer's 22 Best Albums of 2022". Okayplayer. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
- ^ Sawdey, Evan (December 6, 2022). "The 80 Best Albums of 2022". PopMatters. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
- ^ Simpson, J (December 22, 2022). "Top 20 Albums of 2022". Spectrum Culture. Archived from the original on December 23, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
- ^ a b "Denzel Curry Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
- ^ a b "Denzel Curry Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Denzel Curry – Melt My Eyez See Your Future". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Denzel Curry – Melt My Eyez See Your Future" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
- ^ "Denzel Curry Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Denzel Curry – Melt My Eyez See Your Future" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
- ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
- ^ "2022 13-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. April 1, 2022. Archived from the original on April 1, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Denzel Curry – Melt My Eyez See Your Future". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Denzel Curry – Melt My Eyez See Your Future". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
- ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 8, 2022.