Belly experienced extreme lows and highs between the 2018 release of Immigrant and the 2021 arrival of See You Next Wednesday. Shortly after he co-wrote seven of the songs on the Weeknds 2020 album After Hours, including Blinding Lights and Save Your Tears, he opened up about his struggles with depression and PTSD. Although the references to his troubles are fleeting and non-specific, See You Next Wednesday has a harder-fought triumphal undercurrent that gives it an edge over the rappers previous albums and mixtapes. Theres a sense that the featured artists -- the Weeknd, Nas, Benny the Butcher, and Young Thug among them -- are rallying around the protagonist, who responds with steely, highly concentrated verses containing some of his cleverest wordplay. ~ Andy Kellman
Rovi
ウィークエンド率いるXOとロック・ネイションに所属するカナダのラッパーの約3年ぶりとなる3作目。そのウィークエンドとヤング・サグを迎えた"Better Believe"や同胞のナヴ参加曲"Requiem"など随所でXO特有のムードを匂わせながら、マネーバック・ヨーやベニー・ザ・ブッチャーとの各コラボ曲ではハードなラップも聴かせている。"Wu Tang"はその名の通りウータン・クランへの偏愛を綴った一曲。
bounce (C)Masso 187um
タワーレコード(vol.454(2021年9月25日発行号)掲載)