Punk (Young Thug album)
Punk | ||||
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File:Young Thug - Punk.png | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 15, 2021 | |||
Recorded | 2018–2021[1][2] | |||
Length | 62:50 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
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Young Thug chronology | ||||
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Punk is the second studio album by American rapper Young Thug. It was released on October 15, 2021, through YSL Records and is distributed by Atlantic Records and 300 Entertainment. The album contains guest appearances from Strick, J. Cole, T-Shyne, Gunna, Future, BSlime, Juice Wrld, Post Malone, ASAP Rocky, Lil Double 0, Drake, Travis Scott, Doja Cat, Nate Ruess, Jeff Bhasker, and Mac Miller. The production on the album was handled by a variety of record producers, including T-Minus, Metro Boomin, Kanye West, Pi'erre Bourne, Wheezy, Oz, Louis Bell, and Watt, among others.
The album received generally positive reviews from music critics and was a commercial success. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 90,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.
Background and release
In an interview about recording his debut studio album, So Much Fun (2019), Young Thug told The Fader that he wanted to release a follow-up album in the "upcoming weeks". In contrast to his debut, which he described as a "lighthearted work", Punk would be more personal and introspective. He implied that the new album was "touching" and interpreted the meaning of Punk as "brave, not self centered, conscious, very, very neglected, very misunderstood, very patient, very authentic".[3][4] He said the album would reflect "real rap".[5][6][7]
On July 27, 2021, Thug featured on an NPR Tiny Desk home concert, where he performed four new songs and teased an October 15 release date for the album, as seen on the back of his t-shirt.[8] More promotion for Punk is a video published on October 13, 2021, of Thug smashing a $320,000 Rolls-Royce with the word "punk" painted on it in pink.[9]
Following Punk’s release, Thug stated during his appearance on The Breakfast Club that his track "Day Before" with Mac Miller was recorded on the day before Miller's death on September 7, 2018.[1][2]
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 78/100[10] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Arts Desk | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Clash | 8/10[13] |
HipHopDX | 4.0/5[14] |
The Line of Best Fit | 6/10[15] |
NME | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork | 7.1/10[17] |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Punk was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 78, based on six reviews.[10]
Kyann-Sian Williams of NME praised the album, stating, "Featuring a masterpiece of a collaboration with the late, great Mac Miller, this hugely inventive second studio album proves Thugger's all-time greatness".[16] Paul A. Thompson from Pitchfork enjoyed the album, saying, "While Young Thug's creative choices after about 2015 have had little sway over emerging trends, Punk suggests that the space he now occupies is one that allows him more room to experiment".[17] Robin Murray of Clash said, "Impactful and often unexpected, PUNK breaks new ground within Young Thug's identity".[13] Rolling Stone critic Jeff Ihaza said, "With his latest album, you get the feeling that these are songs Thug needed to get off of his chest. While not a dazzling record, it opens a door to exciting opportunities".[18] Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Fred Thomas stated, "Punk is relatively odd for an album that debuted at number one on the charts, sneaking some of Young Thug's inherent eccentricity in among its more commercially viable moments".[11]
Armon Sadler of HipHopDX said, "With Punk, Thugger continues to expand his game to the point of reaching true limitlessness; he's like a young, athletic slasher in basketball who expands his repertoire to become well-rounded and achieve longevity in the sport".[14] In a lukewarm review, The Line of Best Fit's Leo Culp wrote, "Punk will likely not be remembered as a great Young Thug album, but we should appreciate that we get to hear him tinker with his sound for when he finally puts it all together again".[15] Writing for The Arts Desk, Harry Thorfinn-George stated, "There are countless rappers who use a similar melodic flow, but none that can so effortlessly find hidden melodies in every beat".[12]
Year-end lists
Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
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Complex | The Best Albums of 2021 | 31
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Crack Magazine | The Top 50 Albums of the Year | 46
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NME | The 50 Best Albums of 2021 | 45
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Rolling Stone | The 50 Best Albums of 2021 | 29
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The 20 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2021 | 12
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Commercial performance
Punk debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 90,000 album-equivalent units (including 12,000 copies in pure album sales) in its first week.[24] This became Thug's third US number one debut on the chart.[24] The album also accumulated a total of 102 million on-demand streams of the album's songs.[24] In its second week, the album dropped to number seven on the chart, earning an additional 34,000 units.[25]
In South Africa, nine songs from the album debuted within the top 100 on The Official Charts South Africa (TOSAC), in the week ending October 28, 2021. This became a new record on the chart.[26]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Die Slow" (with Strick) |
| Charlie Handsome | 3:57 |
2. | "Stressed" (with J. Cole and T-Shyne) |
|
| 3:40 |
3. | "Stupid/Asking" |
|
| 5:33 |
4. | "Recognize Real" (with Gunna) |
| Charlie Handsome | 2:51 |
5. | "Contagious" |
|
| 2:30 |
6. | "Peepin Out the Window" (with Future and BSlime) |
|
| 3:57 |
7. | "Rich Nigga Shit" (with Juice Wrld) |
|
| 2:57 |
8. | "Livin It Up" (with Post Malone and ASAP Rocky) |
| Charlie Handsome | 3:30 |
9. | "Yea Yea Yea" |
|
| 2:24 |
10. | "Insure My Wrist" (with Gunna) |
|
| 2:48 |
11. | "Scoliosis" (with Lil Double 0) |
|
| 2:50 |
12. | "Bubbly" (with Drake and Travis Scott) |
|
| 2:45 |
13. | "Road Rage" |
|
| 2:32 |
14. | "Faces" |
|
| 2:12 |
15. | "Droppin Jewels" |
|
| 3:38 |
16. | "Fifth Day Dead" |
|
| 2:30 |
17. | "Icy Hot" (with Doja Cat) |
| Wheezy | 3:36 |
18. | "Love You More" (with Nate Ruess, Gunna, and Jeff Bhasker) |
|
| 3:41 |
19. | "Hate the Game" |
|
| 2:44 |
20. | "Day Before" (with Mac Miller) |
| Verzache | 2:15 |
Total length: | 62:50 |
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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References
- ^ a b Gallagher, Alex (October 21, 2021). "Young Thug says Mac Miller collaboration 'Day Before' was recorded one day before Miller's death". NME. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
- ^ a b Woods, Aleia (October 19, 2021). "Young Thug Reveals He and Mac Miller Recorded "Day Before" Song the Day Before Mac Died". XXL. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
- ^ Burks, Tosten (August 21, 2019). "Young Thug Wants to Release His New Album Punk Next Month". Spin. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
- ^ Ross, Alex Robert (August 21, 2019). "Young Thug says he plans to drop new album Punk "in two months"". The Fader. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
- ^ Ivey, Justin (August 21, 2019). "Young Thug Promises Return Of "Real Rap" On Forthcoming "Punk" Album". HipHopDX. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
- ^ Saponara, Michael (August 21, 2019). "Young Thug Announces New Album 'Punk'". Billboard. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
- ^ Cowen, Trace William (August 21, 2019). "Young Thug Teases Introspective 'So Much Fun' Follow-Up Project 'Punk'". Complex. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
- ^ Cowen, Trace William (July 27, 2021). "Watch Young Thug's 'Tiny Desk (Home) Concert' f/ Travis Barker". Complex. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
- ^ "Young Thug Destroys Rolls-Royce to Promote 'Punk' Album". Rap-Up. October 13, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
- ^ a b "Punk by Young Thug Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
- ^ a b Thomas, Fred. "Punk – Young Thug". AllMusic. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
- ^ a b Thorfinn-George, Harry (October 18, 2021). "Album: Young Thug – Punk". The Arts Desk. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
- ^ a b Murray, Robin (October 15, 2021). "Young Thug – Punk". Clash. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
- ^ a b Sadler, Armon (December 23, 2021). "Young Thug 'Punk' Is An Intimate Potluck With Excess Leftovers". HipHopDX. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
- ^ a b Culp, Leo (October 21, 2021). "Punk is an interesting ride, but it's far from Young Thug's greatest". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
- ^ a b Williams, Kyann-Sian (October 15, 2021). "Young Thug – 'Punk' review: a flawless stylistic about-turn from a truly modern great". NME. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
- ^ a b Thompson, Paul A. (October 21, 2021). "Young Thug: Punk Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
- ^ a b Ihaza, Jeff (October 22, 2021). "Young Thug Stays Consistently Brilliant Without Blowing Our Minds on 'Punk'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ Rose, Jordan (December 1, 2021). "The Best Albums of 2021". Complex. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ Cook, Cameron. "The Top 50 Albums of the Year". Crack Magazine. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
- ^ Williams, Kyann-Siann (December 10, 2021). "The 50 best albums of 2021". NME. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
- ^ Conteh, Mankaprr (December 3, 2021). "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ Conteh, Mankaprr (December 15, 2021). "The 20 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2021". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
- ^ a b c Caulfield, Keith (October 24, 2021). "Young Thug's 'Punk' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
- ^ Caulfield, Keith (October 31, 2021). "Drake's 'Certified Lover Boy' Rebounds for Fifth Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
- ^ "TOSAC". The Official Charts South Africa. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Young Thug – Punk". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Young Thug – Punk" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Young Thug – Punk" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Young Thug – Punk" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- ^ "Young Thug Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
- ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Young Thug – Punk". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Young Thug – Punk" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Young Thug – Punk". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Young Thug – Punk" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
- ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
- ^ "Italiancharts.com – Young Thug – Punk". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ "2021 42-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. October 22, 2021. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Young Thug – Punk". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Young Thug – Punk". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Young Thug – Punk". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Young Thug – Punk". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Young Thug – Punk". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
- ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ "Young Thug Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
- ^ "Young Thug Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
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