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Blue Lips (Schoolboy Q album)

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Blue Lips
A closeup photo of an open mouth with lips painted blue.
Studio album by
Schoolboy Q
ReleasedMarch 1, 2024 (2024-03-01)
RecordedApril 2019 – 2023
Length56:10
Label
Producer
Schoolboy Q chronology
Crash Talk
(2019) 		Blue Lips
(2024)
Singles from Blue Lips
  1. "Yeern 101"
    Released: February 15, 2024

Blue Lips is the sixth studio album by American rapper Schoolboy Q. It was released on March 1, 2024, through Top Dawg Entertainment and distributed by Interscope Records. The album features guest appearances from Ab-Soul, AzChike, Childish Major, Devin Malik, Freddie Gibbs, Jozzy, Lance Skiiwalker, and Rico Nasty. It marks his first studio album release in five years, since 2019's Crash Talk.

Despite being less commercially successful than his previous albums, Blue Lips received widespread acclaim from music critics, with most considering it his best work to date. The album debuted at number 13 on the US Billboard 200 chart. It was supported by the lead single "Yeern 101".

Background

[edit]

Following the release of Crash Talk (2019), the rapper first promised the follow-up record to his fifth studio album during a concert in January 2020.[1] However, he would not release original solo material until April 2022, with the single "Soccer Dad".[2] First specific updates about an upcoming project arrived on June 6, 2023, when the rapper revealed that his next album was "in the mixing process" at the time and a release would be "coming very very soon".[3] In September 2023, he elaborated on his decision of not releasing albums as frequently as others by clarifying that he does not view "it as a sport" but instead wants to move off "peace" and his "experiences".[4] He previously promised a return "this year" on August 29.[5]

Release and promotion

[edit]

On February 1, 2024, Q set up a countdown finishing on March 1 on his website, alongside the display of the album title.[6] He also released a trailer that plays an "atmospheric beat" and showcases the "dictionary definition" of the title Blue Lips.[7] Also included in the 37-second video is a tracklist, consisting of 17 tracks, projected on a "film-studio wall".[8] It was also revealed that Q would start previewing the album every Tuesday and Thursday leading up to the album.[9]

On February 6, Q released music videos for the songs "Blueslides" and the Devin Malik-assisted "Back n Love", being classified as "album previews" that were not released on digital streaming platforms.[10] Q would also post mini-vlogs on his social media platforms, as well as his YouTube channel, on February 8 and 13 respectively.[11] On February 15, the official lead single "Yeern 101" was released with an accompanying music video.[12] The album cover was revealed the next day, with preorders for the album's merchandise also going up, including physical (vinyl and CD) copies of the album.[11] On February 20, Q continued sharing "album previews", releasing music videos for the songs "Cooties" and the Devin Malik / Lance Skiiiwalker-assisted "Love Birds".[13]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic87/100[14]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[15]
Clash8/10[16]
HipHopDX4.5/5[17]
Pitchfork8.3/10[18]
Slant Magazine[19]
Sputnikmusic4.0/5[20]

Blue Lips was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received a weighted average score of 87, based on seven reviews.[14]

Karan Singh of HipHopDX wrote: "whereas a lot of listeners might be tempted to ask themselves if ScHoolboy Q's latest offering was worth the wait, his remarkable growth also suggests that years of experience is perhaps what births the richest music, especially in a word-heavy genre like rap".[17] Dylan Green of Pitchfork wrote: "few MCs, on his label or elsewhere, are capable of firing in so many different directions and hitting this many targets at once without sounding out of their depth, but Q corrals the ups and downs of his lavish lifestyle into a deliriously entertaining joyride".[18] Robin Murray of Clash resumed: "part of why Blue Lips is compelling is that it seduces the listener enough to accept Schoolboy Q on his own terms".[16] PumpBoffBag of Sputnikmusic gave a positive review, stating, "Back with a bang so refined it's positively deafening, Blue Lips is an intriguing, befuddling, unique collection of songs that signals the start of a new era for ScHoolboy Q: the man who survived the CrasH".[20]

Rolling Stone's Mosi Reeves wrote that the album "represents a moment when listeners can fully appreciate Q for his singular ability to craft compelling, thought-provoking gems" without comparing him to ex-labelmate Kendrick Lamar.[21] Paul Attard of Slant Magazine found the album "epitomizes what a return to form should strive for: to serve as a reminder of past greatness, yes, but to also be a bold departure from what's come before, embracing risks and pushing boundaries, even if it occasionally teeters on the edge of excess".[19]

Year-end lists

[edit]
Select year-end rankings of Blue Lips
Publication List Rank Ref.
Exclaim! Exclaim!'s 50 Best Albums of 2024
31
[22]
Time Out The Best Albums of 2024
10
[23]

Track listing

[edit]
Blue Lips track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Funny Guy"
2:38
2."Pop" (featuring Rico Nasty)
3:17
3."Thank God 4 Me"
  • Kal Banx
  • J.LBS
  • Fu[a]
2:57
4."Blueslides"
  • Hanley
  • Perkins
  • Luciano
  • Jason Wool
  • TaeBeast
  • Luciano
  • Wool
  • J.LBS
3:55
5."Yeern 101"
  • Cardo
  • Johnny Juliano
  • Yung Exclusive
  • J.LBS
  • Andrew Boyd[v]
  • Bert Gervis[v]
  • Julian Santos[v]
2:20
6."Love Birds" (featuring Devin Malik and Lance Skiiiwalker)
  • Hanley
  • Devin Williams
  • Alejandro Garcia
  • Joshua Lane
  • Oren Yoel
  • Salvador Samano
  • Devin Malik
  • Yoel
  • J.LBS
  • Johnson[a]
  • Hutch[a]
3:55
7."Movie" (featuring AzChike)
  • LowTheGreat
  • TaeBeast
  • J.LBS
  • Hector
1:54
8."Cooties"
  • Hanley
  • Perkins
  • Luciano
  • Wool
  • Uzimaki
  • TaeBeast
  • Luciano
  • Wool
  • Yoel[a]
  • Juice of All Trades[a]
  • Jordan Brooks[a]
  • Santos[v]
2:53
9."Ohio" (featuring Freddie Gibbs)
  • TaeBeast
  • Luciano
  • Wool
  • J.LBS
  • Cardo
  • Juliano
  • Malik
  • Q
  • YeX
  • Por Vida
4:51
10."Foux" (featuring Ab-Soul)
  • TaeBeast
  • Luciano
  • Wool
4:42
11."First"
  • Hanley
  • LaTour
  • Williams
  • Yoel
  • Cardo
  • Juliano
  • Malik
  • Yoel
  • YeX
  • TaeBeast[a]
4:06
12."NuNu"
2:47
13."Back n Love" (featuring Devin Malik)
  • TaeBeast
  • WillGell
  • Santos[v]
3:51
14."Lost Times" (featuring Jozzy)
2:53
15."Germany 86'"
  • Hanley
  • Perkins
  • Jackie Members
  • Richard Poindexter
  • Robert Poindexter
2:07
16."Time Killers"
  • Hanley
  • Pounds
2:37
17."Pig Feet" (featuring Childish Major)
  • Hanley
  • Randle
  • Perkins
  • Berry
  • Jiseok Lee
3:15
18."Smile"
  • Hanley
  • Williams
  • Darvid Thor
  • Henry Jenkins
  • Hudson Whitlock
  • Malik
  • Frollen Music Library
  • Boyd[v]
  • Gervis[v]
  • Santos[v]
1:12
Total length:56:10

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer
  • ^[v] signifies a vocal producer

Personnel

[edit]

Musicians

  • Schoolboy Q – rap vocals
  • Rico Nasty – vocals (track 2)
  • Lauren Santi – additional vocals (tracks 4, 10)
  • Marcus Paul – trumpet (track 4)
  • Lance Skiiiwalker – additional vocals (track 6)
  • Sir – additional vocals (track 6)
  • Devin Malik – vocals (tracks 6, 13)
  • AzChike – rap vocals (track 7)
  • Jordan Brooks – bass (tracks 8, 14)
  • Childish Major – additional vocals (tracks 9, 12), vocals (17)
  • Freddie Gibbs – vocals (track 9)
  • Ab-Soul – rap vocals (track 10)
  • Jozzy – vocals (track 14)
  • Sam Barsh – keyboards (track 15)
  • Jairus Mozee – guitar (track 16)

Technical

  • Vic Luevanos – mastering, mixing
  • Julian Santos – mixing (tracks 1–3, 5–18), engineering (all tracks)
  • Julio Ulloa – mixing assistance
  • Jeffery Massey – mixing assistance (tracks 1–3, 5–18)
  • Paul Montes – mixing assistance (track 2)
  • Arnie Reyes III – engineering assistance (track 5)
  • Devin Ragsdale – engineering assistance (track 5)
  • Jhair Lazo – mixing assistance (track 9)
  • Derek "Mixedby" Ali – mixing

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Blue Lips
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[24] 72
Australian Hip Hop/R&B Albums (ARIA)[25] 20
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[26] 113
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[27] 186
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[28] 33
French Albums (SNEP)[29] 128
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[30] 18
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[31] 88
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[32] 26
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[33] 45
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[34] 22
US Billboard 200[35] 13
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[36] 6

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Ingvaldsen, Torsten (January 29, 2020). "ScHoolboy Q Shares He's Dropping an Album This Year". Hypebeast. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  2. ^ Bloom, Madison (April 6, 2022). "Schoolboy Q Shares New Song "Soccer Dad": Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  3. ^ Lane, Lexi (June 9, 2023). "Schoolboy Q Said He's 'Actually Not' Joking About His Album Arriving Soon And It's In The Mixing Process". Uproxx. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  4. ^ Callas, Brad (September 5, 2023). "Schoolboy Q on Why He Doesn't Drop a New Album Every Year: 'We Never Looked at the Industry as a Sport'". Complex. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  5. ^ Walker, Joe (August 29, 2023). "Schoolboy Q promises epic new music: 'Watch how I come this year'". HipHopDX. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  6. ^ Conteh, Mankaprr (February 1, 2024). "ScHoolboy Q Shares Track List for Blue Lips, First Album in Almost Five Years". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  7. ^ Saponara, Michael (February 1, 2024). "Schoolboy Q Announces Blue Lips Album Release Date: Watch the Trailer". Billboard. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  8. ^ Breihan, Tom (February 1, 2024). "ScHoolBoy Q Announces New Album Blue Lips". Stereogum. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  9. ^ Bernstein, Elaina (February 1, 2024). "ScHoolboy Q Announces 'Blue Lips,' First Album in Five Years". Hypebeast. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  10. ^ Paul, Larisha (February 6, 2024). "ScHoolboy Q Previews New Album 'Blue Lips' With Two Songs – But Only for 24 Hours". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Cummings-Grady, Mackenzie (February 26, 2024). "Here's a Full Rundown on Schoolboy Q's Blue Lips Album". XXL. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  12. ^ Rettig, James (February 15, 2024). "ScHoolboy Q Shares New Single 'Yeern 101': Listen". Stereogum. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  13. ^ Rettig, James (February 20, 2024). "ScHoolboy Q Shares New Songs "Cooties" & "Love Birds": Listen". Stereogum. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  14. ^ a b "Blue Lips by ScHoolboy Q Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  15. ^ Staff, TiVo. "BLUE LIPS ScHoolboy Q | Album". AllMusic. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Murray, Robin (March 1, 2024). "ScHoolboy Q – BLUE LIPS | Reviews". Clash. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  17. ^ a b Singh, Karan (March 1, 2024). "ScHoolboy Q's 'Blue Lips' Is A Specimen Of Evolution, Both Immediate & Gradual". HipHopDX. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  18. ^ a b Green, Dylan (March 4, 2024). "Schoolboy Q: Blue Lips". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  19. ^ a b Attard, Paul (March 4, 2024). "Schoolboy Q 'Blue Lips' Review: Teetering on the Edge of Excess". Slant Magazine. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  20. ^ a b PumpBoffBag (March 24, 2024). "Review: ScHoolboy Q – Blue Lips". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  21. ^ Reeves, Mosi (March 1, 2024). "Schoolboy Q Is Still a Mystery. That's What Makes Him Great". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  22. ^ McLean, Wesley (November 27, 2024). "Exclaim!'s 50 Best Albums of 2024". Exclaim!. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
  23. ^ Khalid, Cam (November 23, 2024). "The Best Albums of 2024". Time Out. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  24. ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 11 March 2024". The ARIA Report. No. 1775. Australian Recording Industry Association. March 11, 2024. p. 6.
  25. ^ "ARIA Top 40 Hip Hop/R&B Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  26. ^ "Ultratop.be – Schoolboy Q – Blue Lips" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  27. ^ "Ultratop.be – Schoolboy Q – Blue Lips" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  28. ^ "Schoolboy Q Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  29. ^ "Top Albums (Week 10, 2024)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  30. ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  31. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Schoolboy Q – Blue Lips". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
  32. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Schoolboy Q – Blue Lips". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  33. ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  34. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  35. ^ "Schoolboy Q Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  36. ^ "Schoolboy Q Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
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