Released on Jan. 12, 2024, Atlanta-based rapper 21 Savage gave fans american dream, his third studio album. It features 15 songs compressed into 49 minutes and 55 seconds. Popular artists such as Doja Cat, Metro Boomin, Travis Scott, Summer Walker, and Brent Faiyaz make appearances throughout the project. Following his most recent album, i am > i was (2018), american dream comes just after 21’s collaboration mixtape with Drake, Her Loss.
To promote the new feature, 21 took to his YouTube channel on Jan. 8, posting the trailer for his biopic about himself featuring 21 Savage, Donald Glover (also known as Childish Gambino), and Caleb McLaughlin. The teaser shows the biopic titled american dream: The 21 Savage Story and projects to release on Independence Day.
This album starts very strong, beginning with a short, self-titled monologue performed by 21’s mother, reminiscing about her challenges as an immigrant and acclaiming her efforts to provide for her son. She says,
“As a mother, every path I walked was for my son”
“For my son to become a man and live free in his American dream”
When preparing to listen to this album, a two-second crossfade and gapless playback are necessities to stomach the transition from the first track, american dream, to the second track, “all of me.” A seamless transition between these two songs is exactly what 21 intended to build the momentum of “all of me.”
Fading out from Mother Savage’s voice, “all of me” starts with light downbeats, sampling “Wishing on a Star” by Rose Royce with airy, eclectic harmonies. Ten seconds into the song, the sample fades out, the beat drops, and 21 begins to lay the toughest bars ever. Delving into deep themes of loyalty, street life, poverty, and the hardships of success, 21 Savage mentions growing up around constant threats of violence and the need to bulletproof his car. After rising to fame, he mentions how many more opportunities followed by hitting,
“I got rich and opened more doors than a doorman”
To further the acknowledgment of his success while growing up with the challenges that come with fame, 21 lays lyrical perfections, citing his faith in God despite the temptations from the devil. In the repeated chorus, 21 claims his fame while recognizing the jealousy and desire for the position he’s in. He says,
“I stand on business, dot my I’s, and cross my T’s”
He tells listeners that he is in the rap environment for a reason; he’s worked to get there, and he condemns anyone who tried to tear him down on his way up. “All of me” was arguably the best song on this entire album. Loads of current, big-name, hot-shot rappers talk about their struggles growing up, being famous, losing friends and family, and how polarizing the world is, but the way that 21 Savage does it is different. When rapping about his struggles, he talks about how he overcame them and grew his platform to be where he is now. In this case, I would love to sit and listen to him rap over a beat any day.
Following “all of me,” track two on american dream features the same captivating features. “Redrum” samples the 1963 Brazilian song “Serenata do Adeus” by Elza Laranjeira, translating the introductory ad-libs from the song to,
It falls, and now of the love remains
The bass comes in hot on this track. Redrum is set in D major and follows a hard 172 bpm. Containing a very high energy tempo, it contains four beats per bar making it a certified head bop. Many songs, like “Paper Planes” by M.I.A., “Rude Boy” by Rihanna, and “I’m Still Standing” by Elton John, follow the same 172 bpm pattern and categorize them as “most popular songs for jogging.”
One of the more disappointing tracks on the record was “née-nah,” featuring Travis Scott and Metro Boomin. I had high hopes for this song since it had big additions to it. Travis Scott has never been known to rap on beat, but his flow was horrendous. The song starts with an industrial, commercial-ey melody that feels super unnatural and unsettling. Since the beat didn’t intrigue me, none of the themes really married together after that. It felt patchy, last minute, and since the beginning was so weak, I had no desire to listen to the rest of the song. “née-nah” was a skip for me; as upsetting as that is because I do love Travis Scott.
Track 11, “prove it” conceived by 21 Savage and Summer Walker, felt like a typical lovey-dovey, bouncy, light love song in the best way. The lyrics are sentimental and soulful, something 21 does very rarely. Much of his discography is about success, failure, exes, money, and hardships. “Prove it” was a refreshing taste of his versatility. Summer Walker has written and published many love-esque songs, which made her the best choice for their third collaboration. The lyrics,
“When I’m with you, it’s a safe space
Baby, you’re bringing me peace”
added to the comforting, chill, passionate vibe of the entire album.
21 Savage has been accredited as the “tough guy fans love” by Rolling Stone after releasing american dream. Mosi Reeves from Rolling Stone writes, “One gets the sense that 21 remains on top of his game even if he’s not quite pushing himself.” Although he is already loved by many and insanely respected in the rap game, I can see 21 Savage growing exponentially in the coming years, especially if he keeps releasing hit after hit.
I would give american dream an 8/10 and look forward to hearing what is in store for 21.
