The Big Day (album)
| The Big Day | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 26, 2019 | |||
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| Length | 77:10 | |||
| Label | Self-released | |||
| Producer |
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| Chance the Rapper chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Big Day | ||||
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The Big Day is the debut studio album by American rapper Chance the Rapper, released on July 26, 2019.[3] The album follows several mixtapes by the rapper including the reissue of his collaborative Merry Christmas Lil' Mama in 2017, and was his first solo project since Coloring Book in 2016.[4] The album was heavily influenced by Chance's marriage to his then wife.[5][6] The album was lauded by most critics, but certain aspects of the work found limited commercial success.[7][8] The album received widespread negative attention and backlash from fans on social media and other Internet communities citing inconsistencies of quality throughout the work.[9][10] The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, Chance's highest-charting entry to date.[11] In November 2024, Rolling Stone ranked it at number 50 on its list of The 50 Most Disappointing Albums of All Time.[12]
For the album, Chance worked with several songwriters including Darius Scott, Dwayne Verner, Jr., Greg Landfair, Nate Fox and Peter Wilkins.[13]
Recording
[edit]In a November 2016 interview, Chance the Rapper stated: "I think what I'm working on now is an album."[14] In May and June 2018, American rapper and producer Kanye West released a set of 7-track albums as part of the Wyoming Sessions, producing five albums in collaboration with Pusha T, Kid Cudi, Nas, and Teyana Taylor. In July 2018, Chance announced that West was coming to Chicago to produce his debut album.[15] West arrived in Chicago in mid-August 2018 and began recording.[16] The duo later announced that their collaboration would be titled Good Ass Job.[17] At the same time, West began working on his ninth studio album Yandhi and shifted his focus to that project instead; West has no production credits on the released version of The Big Day.
Music and lyrics
[edit]The Big Day has been described by music journalists as a 401k rap,[18] pop-rap[19] and gospel rap record.[20] NOW Magazine's Richard Trapunski says it "presents a bigger and slicker version of [Chance the Rapper's] nostalgic gospel-rap sound",[21] while Stephen Porzio from Hot Press says it not only features hip hop but also R&B and soul music.[22]
Lyrically, the album follows Chance on his wedding day, inspired by his real-life marriage to Kirsten Corley in March 2019.[23] Its predominant theme of family is explored with most songs about Kirsten and Chance's family and children. The album features contributions from his brother Taylor Bennett, who raps on "Roo", and his father Ken Bennett, who helped co-write "Eternal". In the skits "Photo Ops" and "4 Quarters in the Black", comedians John Witherspoon and Keith David play wise uncle characters to highlight the multigenerational aspect of weddings.[5]
Artwork
[edit]The artwork for the album cover features a jewel encrusted clear disc, reminiscent of a wedding ring, referencing the album's wedding theme, and was created by artist Sara Shakeel. Chance the Rapper reached out to Shakeel via Instagram to commission a physical object in her unique Swarovski crystal-clad style to be photographed and used for the cover art.[24] Shakeel also created artworks for the rapper's installation "The Big Store".[25] Inside the album booklet, Julio Blanco provided photographs of Chance and his family.
Marketing and sales
[edit]In March 2017, Chance stated that he would sell his debut album, as opposed to the free release of his previous mixtapes.[26] On February 12, 2019, Chance tweeted "July" and shared a video on his Instagram revealing that he had "been making music" that fans could expect to arrive the same month.[27] On June 27, Chance released a promotional video titled "The Next Chapter Begins", where a pre-order for the album was launched. His first two mixtapes, 10 Day and Acid Rap, were also put up on music streaming services, and sold on vinyl alongside his third mixtape Coloring Book.[28] On July 16, Chance the Rapper announced the album's title, release date and revealed its cover during his interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[3]
On August 4, 2019, The Big Day debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 with 108,000 album-equivalent units, of which 27,000 were pure album sales in its first week. It was Chance's highest-charting entry and his third release to hit the top 10 of the chart.[11]
Critical reception
[edit]| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 6.8/10[29] |
| Metacritic | 71/100[9] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [30] |
| And It Don't Stop | A[31] |
| Chicago Tribune | [32] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A−[33] |
| The Guardian | [19] |
| Hot Press | 7/10[22] |
| The Independent | [34] |
| NME | [35] |
| Pitchfork | 6.9/10[18] |
| Rolling Stone | [36] |
| theneedledrop | 0/10[37] |
The Big Day was met with generally positive reviews, according to the aggregate website Metacritic. At the website, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional critics, the album received an average score of 71, based on 21 reviews.[9] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 6.8 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[29] The reception was described by journalists Shaad D'Souza (of The Fader)[7] and Ben Yakas (of Gothamist) as "lukewarm".[8]
Reviewing in July 2019, Al Horner of The Guardian described The Big Day as "a candid, cutesy concept album based around his wedding", believing it "combines something old and something new, subtly expanding Chance’s sound without ever straying too far from the sentimental gospel-pop heart of his last release, Coloring Book"."[19] Fred Thomas of AllMusic wrote that "Bright, flawless production supports Chance's optimistic lyrics and cultivates an atmosphere overflowing with joy, wonder, and summery nostalgia".[30] Christopher Weingarten of Entertainment Weekly concluded, "A master lyricist, a musical omnivore, Chance and his family of producers and instrumentalists channel all the big emotions of the big day in a swirl of bliss, marital and otherwise."[33] In a less enthusiastic review, Danny Schwartz of Rolling Stone concluded that, "Despite its length, The Big Day is self-contained, at least by Chance’s standards", considering it "narrower in emotional scope" than the 2016 mixtape Coloring Book.[36] Dhruva Balram of NME said it is "a buoyant, cheerful project that looks back on his young, successful career through rose-tinted lenses but, ultimately, doesn't possess enough depth amidst a mishmash of production and features that make it too long-winded".[35]
The album and Chance received overwhelming criticism from fans on social media, spawning many Internet memes primarily about the album's focus on Chance's now-former marriage. Having expected music similar to his previous mixtapes, many fans believed that the album was a regression for the rapper, finding his raps banal and his style childishly upbeat.[38][39] The music critic Anthony Fantano rated it a zero on a scale of 10,[38] finding the production "flat" and the raps having some of Chance's "worst bars to date", and calling the album a "22-track torture chamber with 77 minutes of runtime".[37] Writing for Allmusic in 2024, Fred Crone described it as "a certified horror-show of an album delivering two scary truths: 1. your favourite artist can, at any point, creatively combust. 2. your relationship probably isn't as interesting to everyone else as you think it is."[40]The rapper responded on Twitter to the criticism, saying he believes that people wanted him to "kill himself".[10][41]
The veteran music critic Robert Christgau believed The Big Day had become a "backlash victim", instead ranking it on his year-end list as 2019's third best album.[42] In his "Consumer Guide" column on Substack, he explained that, "Since the rhyming may seem slack when you follow every word, why bother? ... [T]he opener's choral 'we-back' intro and self-sufficient lyric lighten up the room every time they come round, and that mood never dulls." While applauding the guest performances, Christgau added that the best raps belong to Chance on "Found a Good One" and "Zanies and Fools". "Both celebrate his wedding day with a cred the cameos only flesh out, a cred that will endure as art even if the marriage itself fails—this is showbiz, after all. Best wishes to the happy couple and all their progeny."[31]
Track listing
[edit]Track listing and credits adapted from Apple Music and Tidal.[13][43]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "All Day Long" (featuring John Legend) |
|
| 3:28 |
| 2. | "Do You Remember" (featuring Death Cab for Cutie) |
|
| 3:56 |
| 3. | "Eternal" (featuring Smino) |
|
| 4:03 |
| 4. | "Hot Shower" (featuring MadeinTYO and DaBaby) |
|
| 3:45 |
| 5. | "We Go High" |
|
| 4:59 |
| 6. | "I Got You (Always and Forever)" (featuring En Vogue, Ari Lennox and Kierra Sheard) |
|
| 4:41 |
| 7. | "Photo Ops (Skit)" |
|
| 1:15 |
| 8. | "Roo" (featuring Taylor Bennett and CocoRosie) |
|
| 2:51 |
| 9. | "The Big Day" (featuring Francis and the Lights) |
|
| 4:02 |
| 10. | "Let's Go on the Run" (featuring Knox Fortune) |
|
| 3:41 |
| 11. | "Handsome" (featuring Megan Thee Stallion) |
|
| 2:53 |
| 12. | "Big Fish" (featuring Gucci Mane) |
|
| 3:06 |
| 13. | "Ballin Flossin" (featuring Shawn Mendes) |
|
| 2:49 |
| 14. | "4 Quarters in the Black (Skit)" |
|
| 2:13 |
| 15. | "5 Year Plan" (featuring Randy Newman) |
|
| 4:17 |
| 16. | "Get a Bag" (featuring Calboy) |
|
| 3:21 |
| 17. | "Slide Around" (featuring Lil Durk and Nicki Minaj) |
|
| 4:30 |
| 18. | "Sun Come Down" |
|
| 3:35 |
| 19. | "Found a Good One (Single No More)" (featuring SWV and Pretty Vee) |
|
| 4:18 |
| 20. | "Town on the Hill" |
|
| 2:59 |
| 21. | "Our House (Skit)" |
|
| 1:05 |
| 22. | "Zanies and Fools" (featuring Darius Scott and Nicki Minaj) |
|
| 5:23 |
| Total length: | 77:10 | |||
Notes
- "Photo Ops (Skit)" features uncredited vocals by John Witherspoon[5]
- "Ballin Flossin" features uncredited vocals by DJ Casper[44]
- "4 Quarters in the Black (Skit)" features uncredited vocals by Keith David[5]
- "Found a Good One (Single No More)" features uncredited vocals by Lisa Mishra[45]
- "Our House (Skit)" features uncredited vocals by Cree Summer and Jackée Harry[46]
Samples
- ^[a] "We Go High" contains a voice sample of the character Navi, voiced by Kaori Mizuhashi, from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.[47]
- ^[b] "Handsome" contains a sample from "Honesty", written by David Bowden, and performed by Pink Sweats.[48]
- ^[c] "Ballin Flossin" contains a sample from "I Wanna Be Down", written by Keith Edward Crouch, and performed by Brandy.[49]
- ^[d] "Get a Bag" contains a sample from "Only One", written and performed by James Taylor.[50]
- ^[e] "Zanies and Fools" contains a sample from "Impossible: It's Possible" from Cinderella, written by Oscar Hammerstein II and Richard Rodgers, and performed by Rodgers.
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
|
Year-end charts[edit]
|
Release history
[edit]| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Various | July 26, 2019 |
|
| 2020 |
|
References
[edit]- ^ "Radio 1 Playlist". BBC Radio 1. Archived from the original on August 19, 2019.
- ^ Schofield, Alma (October 29, 2019). "Chance The Rapper Drops Comedic "Hot Shower" Video Co-Starring MadeinTYO & DaBaby". HipHopDX. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- ^ a b Brandle, Lars (July 17, 2019). "Chance The Rapper Announces Debut Album 'The Big Day,' Release Date and Cover Art". Billboard. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
- ^ Minsker, Evan (July 17, 2019). "Chance the Rapper Reveals New Album Title, Artwork, Release Date". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (July 26, 2019). "5 Takeaways from Chance the Rapper's New Album, The Big Day". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
- ^ "Chance the Rapper and Kirsten Corley announce divorce after 5 years of marriage". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
- ^ a b D'Souza, Shaad (August 2, 2019). "5 takeaways from Chance The Rapper's Zane Lowe interview". The Fader. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
- ^ a b Yakas, Ben (October 28, 2019). "Videos: Chance The Rapper Carries A Solid SNL On His Shoulders". Gothamist. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
- ^ a b c "The Big Day by Chance the Rapper Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
- ^ a b Lavin, Will (August 5, 2019). ""I'm getting this crazy feeling that people want me to kill myself" – Chance The Rapper on 'The Big Day' fan backlash". NME. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
- Harrison, Ellie (August 5, 2019). "Chance the Rapper posts lengthy and emotional response to new album criticism". The Independent. Retrieved August 7, 2019. - ^ a b c Caulfield, Keith (August 4, 2019). "NF Scores Second No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'The Search'". Billboard. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
- ^ Greene, Andy (2024-10-11). "The 50 Most Disappointing Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
- ^ a b "The Big Day by Chance the Rapper". Apple Music. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
- ^ Weinstein, Max (November 23, 2016). "Chance The Rapper Is Officially Working on His Debut Album". XXL. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
- ^ Carl Lamarre (July 12, 2018). "Chance the Rapper Says Kanye West Is Heading to Chicago to Produce His New Album". Billboard. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
- ^ Alice Bazerghi (August 29, 2018). "Kanye West in Chicago working with Chance the Rapper". Chicago Sun-Time. Archived from the original on 29 August 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
- ^ "Chance The Rapper & Kanye West Tease New Album 'Good Ass Job' (UPDATE)". Genius.
- ^ a b Pearce, Sheldon (July 30, 2019). "Chance the Rapper: The Big Day". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
- ^ a b c Horner, Al (July 29, 2019). "Chance the Rapper: The Big Day review – a pop-rap marriage made in heaven". The Guardian. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
- ^ Heilman, Max (July 29, 2019). "REVIEW: Chance the Rapper's 'Big Day' becomes a jubilant gospel-rap excursion". Riff Magazine. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
- ^ Trapunski, Richard (July 29, 2019). "Review: The Big Day is Chance the Rapper's debut, but it suffers from the sophomore slump". NOW Magazine. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
- ^ a b Porzio, Stephen (August 21, 2019). "Album Review: Chance The Rapper, The Big Day". Hot Press. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
- ^ "Chance The Rapper married longtime love Kirsten Corley over the weekend". USA Today. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
- ^ Owens, Tanner. "Chance the Rapper reveals details about new album". Iowa State Daily. Retrieved 2019-11-29.
- ^ "Chance the Rapper Relaunches "The Big Store" Pop-Up Exhibition". HYPEBEAST. 31 July 2019. Retrieved 2019-11-29.
- ^ Strauss, Matthew (March 13, 2017). "Chance the Rapper: 'I Might Actually Sell This Album'". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
- ^ Blais-Billie, Braudie (February 12, 2019). "Chance the Rapper Says New Album Is Coming in July". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
- ^ Bloom, Madison (June 28, 2019). "Chance the Rapper's Mixtapes Are Now Streaming, Coming to Vinyl". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
- ^ a b "The Big Day by Chance The Rapper reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
- ^ a b Thomas, Fred. "The Big Day – Chance the Rapper". AllMusic. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert (October 9, 2019). "Consumer Guide: October, 2019". And It Don't Stop. Substack. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
- ^ Kot, Greg (July 26, 2019). "Review: Chance the Rapper's new 'The Big Day'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
- ^ a b Weingarten, Christopher R. (July 29, 2019). "The Big Day is Chance the Rapper's ode to marital bliss". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
- ^ O'Connor, Roisin; Bray, Elisa (July 31, 2019). "Album reviews: Chance the Rapper – The Big Day, and Berlin – Transcendance". The Independent. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
- ^ a b Balram, Dhruva (July 29, 2019). "Chance The Rapper – 'The Big Day' review". NME. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
- ^ a b Schwartz, Danny (July 31, 2019). "Chance the Rapper's 'The Big Day' is the Sound of a Man in Love and Sometimes That's Awesome". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
- ^ a b Fantano, Anthony (July 31, 2019). "Chance the Rapper - The Big Day ALBUM REVIEW". YouTube. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
- ^ a b Earp, Joseph (August 2, 2019). "The Internet Is Awash With Memes About Chance The Rapper Loving His Wife". Junkee. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
- ^ Di Iorio, Michael (August 3, 2019). "Chance the Rapper loves his wife, and the memes are rolling in". Don't Bore Us. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
- ^ "Allmusic's Favorite Actually Scary Albums". Allmusic. October 28, 2024.
- ^ Bennett, Chancelor [@chancetherapper] (2019-08-05). "I'm getting this crazy feeling that people want me to kill myself 😢" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (January 26, 2020). "Dean's List 2019". And It Don't Stop. Substack. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
- ^ "The Big Day by Chance the Rapper". Tidal. 26 July 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
- ^ Chance the Rapper [@chancetherapper] (July 26, 2019). "Thats DJ Casper on #BallinFlossin with @ShawnMendes" (Tweet). Retrieved July 26, 2019 – via Twitter.
- ^ Lisa Mishra (July 26, 2019). "So proud of you @chancetherapper 💓 Thank you @nicosegal and @realcottontale for having me sing a few lines when I was home in the spring (y'all were my first ever studio experience when we did Coloring Book btw) So happy to have one foot in Chicago and another in Mumbai, exploring both my musical worlds in tandem. Can't wait for y'all to hear this in a few hours!! THE BIG DAY IS HERE!". Archived from the original on 2021-12-24. Retrieved July 26, 2019 – via Instagram.
- ^ Harry, Jackée [@JackeeHarry] (July 26, 2019). "I'm extremely honored to be a part of #TheBigDay. Buy or stream @chancetherapper's album NOW! It's a musical masterpiece. ✨" (Tweet). Retrieved July 26, 2019 – via Twitter.
- ^ "New song from Chance the Rapper features Navi from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time". GoNintendo. July 26, 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
- ^ Strauss, Matthew (July 26, 2019). "Chance the Rapper Releases New Album The Big Day: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
- ^ Dellato, Marisa (July 26, 2019). "Chance the Rapper gets 'High' on Michelle Obama for 'Big Day'". NY Post. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
In "Ballin Flossin," he samples Brandy's 1994 hit "I Wanna Be Down" with singer Shawn Mendes.
- ^ Welch, Isaac (July 26, 2019). "Chance The Rapper Samples James Taylor On "Get A Bag"". Genius. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Chance the Rapper – The Big Day". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Chance the Rapper – The Big Day" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Chance the Rapper – The Big Day" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
- ^ "Chance the Rapper Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
- ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Chance the Rapper – The Big Day". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Chance the Rapper – The Big Day" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Chance the Rapper – The Big Day". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
- ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Chance the Rapper". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
- ^ "Savaitės klausomiausi (TOP 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. August 3, 2019. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Chance the Rapper – The Big Day". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Chance the Rapper – The Big Day". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Chance the Rapper – The Big Day". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
- ^ "Chance the Rapper Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
- ^ "Chance The Rapper - The Big Day | Releases |". Discogs.com. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
External links
[edit]- The Big Day at Discogs (list of releases)
