USA TODAY International Edition
Get inside Kendrick Lamar’s head in ‘DAMN.’
Encompassing 14 tracks and 55 minutes, Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN. is not an album that can be categorized on its first listen.
But, thankfully for fans, Lamar’s fourth studio album, streaming on Apple Music and Spotify, is worth the time it takes to unpack. DAMN. ditches the rap- opera construction of Lamar’s 2012 album Good Kid, M. A. A. D City and the politically urgent jazz of 2015’ s To Pimp A Butterfly, seeing the rapper meditate on relationships with his family, community and newfound fame.
While DAMN. sounds more radio- ready than its predecessor, Lamar doesn’t sacrifice the artistic quality that drew critics to Butterfly, sounding as musically imaginative and politically vital as he ever has.
BLOOD. The album opens with a perfectly Lamar- ian anecdote as he narrates a story about an old woman with an existential twist. DAMN.’ s first political reference arrives at the end, a winking sample of two Fox News reporters puzzledly reciting a lyric from Lamar’s Black Lives Matter anthem Alright. “And they hate popo’... ugh, I don’t like it.”
DNA. DAMN.’ s second track lays out the album’s themes: loyalty, royalty and the heritage embedded in his genetic code.
YAH. Lamar channels Lauryn Hill in his laid- back singing, shrugging off political matters for references to God.
ELEMENT. LeBron James introduced the world to ELEMENT. by filming himself dancing to the song. Even with its Instagramcaption ready verses, Lamar still sounds sharp.
FEEL. Lamar invites listeners into his clouded headspace here. Yet, even while he’s meditating on fame, he stays relatable.
LOYALTY. DAMN.’ s buzziest guest appearance, feauting Rihanna, is destined for radio success.
PRIDE. It may be the least memorable, but its enjoyable mix of influences sees Lamar borrowing warped guitars and pitch- shifted vocals from Frank Ocean before attempting his best Andre 3000 falsetto. HUMBLE. The album’s first single is the spiritual successor to the Butterfly hit King Kunta. Both tracks share a playful beat and highly quotable verses. LUST. At face value, the track focuses on romantic lust and material desire. Lamar details the empty pleasures of his life before painting a picture of Americans attending a one- off protest before “reverting back to our daily programs.” As listeners learn, the song’s desire is really about motivation. LOVE. With the help of guest vocalist Zacari, Lamar tries his hand at some Drake- style, radio- ready seduction. XXX. The album’s toughest track to digest, it opens with a disembodied chorus before launching into Lamar’s stark rapping over skittering beats. It changes gears again, turning into a jazzy U2 feature with Bono offering platitudes about America in a slinky vocal performance. FEAR. Every Lamar album has an opus like this, that arrives toward the end to encompass its themes in a longer runtime. On FEAR., the album’s purpose solidifies beyond its political statements, showing a portrait of an artist terrified of failure, in the eyes of his community, his peers and himself. GOD. This is Kendrick’s Kanye West track, a triumphant several minutes of roughly sung bravado over a melody that isn’t dissimilar to the Life of Pablo track Waves. DUCKWORTH. If there’s a lyric that sums up Kendrick’s dueling demons, it’s DUCKWORTH.’ s powerful Tupac- referencing line, “It was always me versus the world / Until I found it’s me versus me.”