Vince Staples (album)

Vince Staples is the fourth studio album by American rapper Vince Staples. It was released on July 9, 2021, through Motown Records and Blacksmith Records. The album received acclaim from critics, with the conversational lyrics and production highlighted.

"Sundown Town (song)" redirects here. For the 2023 parody song, see Try That in a Small Town § Response from Aldean and other artists.
Vince Staples
Studio album by
Vince Staples
ReleasedJuly 9, 2021
GenreHip hop[1]
Length22:02
Label
ProducerKenny Beats
Vince Staples chronology
FM!
(2018)		 Vince Staples
(2021)		 Ramona Park Broke My Heart
(2022)
Singles from Vince Staples
  1. "Law of Averages"
    Released: June 18, 2021
  2. "Are You with That?"
    Released: July 6, 2021

Background

Vince Staples' runtime is approximately 22 minutes, the same length as his last project, FM![2] The album, like his last, was produced by Kenny Beats.[3]

Staples revealed the track list of the album via Instagram.[2] He released the singles "Law of Averages" and "Are You with That?" on June 18 and July 6, 2021, respectively.[4][5]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.8/10[6]
Metacritic84/100[7]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Beats Per Minute83%[9]
Clash9/10[10]
The Guardian[11]
The Independent[12]
musicOMH[13]
NME[14]
Paste8.2/10[15]
Pitchfork7.3/10[16]
Rolling Stone[17]

Vince Staples was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 84, based on 20 reviews.[7] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.8 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[6]

Alexis Petridis of The Guardian gave the album four stars out of five. He opined that the album's "spectral take on his region's G-funk, paired with conversational lyrics, deepens his outsider appeal".[11] Kyann-Sian Williams of NME also gave the album four stars out of five, stating "The Long Beach rapper pairs playful one-liners with smouldering beats on his fourth full-length".[14] Paste's Matt Mitchell gave the album an 8.2 out of 10, citing that the foundation of Staples' success "starts in the basement of survival, while other rappers punctuate their ladder-climbing with long bars about seven-figure houses, island getaways and private jets."[15] PopMatters' John Amen gave the album a score of 8 out of 10, concluding, "With his latest jewel, Staples mines an artistic, existential, and notably fertile limbo."[18] Matthew Davies Lombardi from DIY enjoyed the album, saying, "There's just enough instrumentation to add depth and texture to Vince's characteristically excellent delivery, but the rapper still stands front and centre, allowing a less bombastic tone to shine. ... If you arrive looking for the hooks of "Norf Norf" or the explosive chemistry of "BagBak" you could be leaving half empty-handed. But if you're here for Vince Staples, you might just see more of him than ever".[19] Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Neil Z. Yeung stated, "Though the set feels somewhat sleepy upon first listen, repeat visits reward listeners with Staples' depth and wit, cementing Vince Staples as a simple yet focused statement from one of the West Coast's most relevant voices".[8]

Beats Per Minute critic Chase McMullen said, "Vince Staples is certainly not an easy album to tap into, nor a particularly fun one, but for those interested in a piece of art in which the barrier between the creator and onlooker is veritably nonexistent, to the point of shared claustrophobia, look no further. ... Staples' scars have never been more visible: he's practically put them on display for the world at large. If that's not bravery, I don't know what is".[9] Dylan Green of Pitchfork said, "Vince Staples has movement but lacks velocity, which casts his words in the most intimate light imaginable. ... Even if you're looking for the booming pastel energy of Kenny [Beats]'s recent collaboration with TiaCorine or the breathless vibes of his work on Vince's FM!, Vince Staples still has plenty to recommend. The sonic palette is grayscale without being boring, stoic without missing bounce".[16]

Year-end lists
Select year-end rankings of Vince Staples
Publication List Rank Ref.
Billboard The 50 Best Albums of 2021
34
[20]
Complex The Best Albums of 2021
19
[21]
Exclaim! 50 Best Albums of 2021
28
[22]
The Fader The 50 Best Albums of 2021
21
[23]
Los Angeles Times The 10 Best Albums of 2021
10
[24]
NME The 50 Best Albums of 2021
42
[25]
NPR Music The 50 Best Albums of 2021
9
[26]
PopMatters The 75 Best Albums of 2021
53
[27]
Slant Magazine The 50 Best Albums of 2021
45
[28]
Time The 10 Best Albums of 2021
2
[29]

Track listing
Vince Staples track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Are You with That?"
2:18
2."Law of Averages"
  • Staples
  • Blume
  • Reske
  • Kenny Beats
  • Reske[a]
2:19
3."Sundown Town"
  • Staples
  • Xavier Herrera
  • Giorgio Ligeon
  • Blume
Kenny Beats2:31
4."The Shining"
  • Staples
  • Blume
  • James Colwell
  • Harper Gordon
  • Kenny Beats
  • WahWah James[a]
  • Harper Gordon[a]
2:40
5."Taking Trips"
2:37
6."The Apple & the Tree"
  • Staples
  • Blume
  • Thomas Martin
  • Rory McDougall
  • Michael Meagher
  • Justin Marshall
  • Simon Marvin
  • Paul Bender
Kenny Beats1:08
7."Take Me Home" (with Fousheé)
Kenny Beats2:47
8."Lil Fade"
Kenny Beats2:12
9."Lakewood Mall"
  • Staples
  • Blume
  • Chuck Sibit
Kenny Beats1:17
10."Mhm"
  • Staples
  • Blume
  • Nils Noehden
  • Kenny Beats
  • Nils[a]
2:12
Total length:22:02

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer
  • All tracks are stylized in all caps.
  • On the informational sticker for the vinyl of this album, the interlude "Lakewood Mall" has an extended title of "Lakewood Mall (Free Pac Slimm)".

Personnel

Charts
Chart performance for Vince Staples
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[30] 32
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[31] 107
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[32] 37
Irish Albums (IRMA)[33] 73
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)[34] 25
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[35] 19
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[36] 55
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[37] 24
US Billboard 200[38] 21
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[39] 14

References
  1. DeVille, Chris (July 9, 2021). "Stream Vince Staples' New Self-Titled Album". Stereogum. Archived from the original on July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  2. Okon, Wongo (July 3, 2021). "Vince Staples Recruited Foushee For His Forthcoming Self-Titled Album". Uproxx. Archived from the original on July 5, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  3. Price, Joe (July 8, 2021). "Listen to Vince Staples' Self-Titled Album". Complex. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  4. Schube, Will (June 18, 2021). "Vince Staples Returns With Self-Titled Album, Releases 'Law Of Averages'". uDiscover Music. Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  5. Darville, Jordan (July 6, 2021). "Vince Staples shares new song 'Are You With That?'". The Fader. Archived from the original on July 6, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  6. "Vince Staples by Vince Staples reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  7. "Vince Staples by Vince Staples Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Archived from the original on November 7, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  8. Yeung, Neil Z. "Vince Staples – Vince Staples". AllMusic. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  9. McMullen, Chase (July 9, 2021). "Album Review: Vince Staples – Vince Staples". Beats Per Minute. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  10. Hawkes, Jake (July 8, 2021). "Vince Staples – Vince Staples". Clash. Archived from the original on July 8, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  11. Petridis, Alexis (July 1, 2021). "Vince Staples: Vince Staples review – inventive rapper still walks own path". The Guardian. Archived from the original on July 6, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  12. Nugent, Annabel (July 8, 2021). "Vince Staples review, Vince Staples: Another superb outlier from a rapper who excels in them". The Independent. Archived from the original on July 8, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  13. Devlin, Ben (July 9, 2021). "Vince Staples – Vince Staples". musicOMH. Archived from the original on January 5, 2022. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  14. Williams, Kyann-Sian (July 8, 2021). "Vince Staples – 'Vince Staples' album review: a spectacular slow-burn". NME. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  15. Mitchell, Matt (July 9, 2021). "Vince Staples Finds a Balance Between Vulnerability and Privacy". Paste. Archived from the original on July 15, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  16. Green, Dylan (July 9, 2021). "Vince Staples Vince Staples". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  17. Schwartz, Danny (July 9, 2021). "Vince Staples' Self-Titled LP is a Concise Study in Peril and Paranoia". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  18. Amen, John (July 13, 2021). "Vince Staples: Vince Staples (Album Review)". PopMatters. Archived from the original on July 13, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  19. Lombardi, Matthew Davies (July 9, 2021). "Vince Staples – Vince Staples". DIY. Archived from the original on July 12, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  20. Panaligan, EJ (December 6, 2021). "The 50 Best Albums of 2021: Staff List". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  21. Gee, Andre (December 1, 2021). "The Best Albums of 2021". Complex. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  22. Noor, Sun (December 1, 2021). "Exclaim!'s 50 Best Albums of 2021". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  23. Elder, Sajae. "The 50 best albums of 2021". The Fader. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  24. Wood, Mikael (December 15, 2021). "The 10 best albums of 2021". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 17, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  25. Moore, Sam (December 10, 2021). "The 50 best albums of 2021". NME. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  26. Fitzgerald, Kiana (December 1, 2021). "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". NPR Music. Archived from the original on December 3, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  27. Amen, John (December 8, 2021). "The 75 Best Albums of 2021". PopMatters. Archived from the original on December 8, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  28. Lyons-Burt, Charles (December 7, 2021). "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  29. Chow, Andrew R.; Lang, Cady (December 4, 2021). "The 10 Best Albums of 2021". Time. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  30. "Australiancharts.com – Vince Staples – Vince Staples". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  31. "Ultratop.be – Vince Staples – Vince Staples" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  32. "Vince Staples Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  33. "Irish-charts.com – Discography Vince Staples". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  34. "2021 28-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. July 16, 2021. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  35. "Charts.nz – Vince Staples – Vince Staples". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  36. "Swisscharts.com – Vince Staples – Vince Staples". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  37. "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  38. "Vince Staples Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  39. "Vince Staples Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
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