Dopamine

DOPAMINE is the fifth full-length album from New York rapper/songwriter/vocalist Lil Tecca, following the release of 2024s Plan A. This record seeks to capture the feeling of joy associated with a dopamine rush, leading to a focus on upbeat and energetic tracks. DOPAMINE continues a steady run of immensely popular output from Lil Tecca, and finds him stepping outside of his usual comfort zone of melodic trap and R&B-underscored rap tracks. Some of the most exciting moments of growth start the album. Lead single and album opener "Dark Thoughts" is an immediate earworm that pairs Teccas hooky vocal lines with a throwback production style reminiscent of the rap hits that were topping the charts at the start of the 2000s. "OWA OWA" is based around a clever flip of a sample from the Buggles 80s classic "Video Killed the Radio Star," but instead of stopping there adds layers of character by way of unexpected production twists and synthesizer countermelodies. Some tracks feel redundant due to Lil Teccas overuse of the same repetitive, Auto-Tuned flows, but his occasional experiments with distorted instrumentals and nods to rage rap (such as closer "Tic Tac Toe," where the albums sole guest, Ken Carson, stops by to amp up the energy) help keep DOPAMINEs rush going strong. ~ TiVo Staff