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Detroit 2

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Detroit 2
Studio album by
Big Sean
ReleasedSeptember 4, 2020 (2020-09-04)
GenreHip hop
Length71:19
Label
Producer
Big Sean chronology
Double or Nothing
(2017) 		Detroit 2
(2020) 		What You Expect
(2021)
Singles from Detroit 2
  1. "Deep Reverence"
    Released: August 25, 2020
  2. "Wolves"
    Released: September 19, 2020

Detroit 2 is the fifth studio album by American rapper Big Sean, released through GOOD Music on September 4, 2020, with distribution handled by Def Jam Recordings. The album serves as a sequel to Sean's 2012 mixtape, Detroit. It features guest appearances from Eminem, Royce da 5'9", Dwele, Post Malone, Young Thug, Travis Scott, Lil Wayne, Diddy, Kash Doll, and Nipsey Hussle, among others. The deluxe edition includes additional features from ASAP Ferg and Hit-Boy.

The album received generally positive reviews from music critics and was a commercial success. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 103,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.

Release and promotion

[edit]

Big Sean had originally planned to announce the album on March 13, 2020, coinciding with "313 Day", an annual celebration of Detroit; however, this announcement was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] Sean instead announced the album later in March, with no release date specified.[1] In late August, Sean announced over Twitter that the release date of the album would be September 4, 2020.[2] The album is Sean's final album released under Kanye West's Def Jam-distributed imprint, GOOD Music.[3]

Singles

[edit]

"Deep Reverence" featuring American rapper Nipsey Hussle, was released on August 25, 2020, as the album's lead single.[4] The music video was released on March 5, 2021.[5] The song peaked at number 82 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[6]

The album's second single, "Wolves" featuring American singer Post Malone, was sent to rhythmic contemporary radio on September 19, 2020.[7] The music video was released on November 20, 2020.[8] The song peaked at number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100.[6]

Promotional singles

[edit]

The album's first promotional single, "Harder than My Demons", was released on August 31, 2020, as well an accompanying music video.[9][10] The song peaked at number four on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100.[11]

Other songs

[edit]

The music video for "Lithuania" featuring American rapper Travis Scott, was released on September 4, 2020.[12] The music video for "ZTFO", was released on September 17, 2020.[13] The music video for "Body Language" featuring American singers Ty Dolla Sign and Jhené Aiko, was released on December 16, 2020.[14]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?6.4/10[15]
Metacritic71/100[16]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[17]
Beats Per Minute60%[18]
Clash7/10[19]
ConsequenceB+[20]
HipHopDX3.5/5[21]
NME[22]
Pitchfork5.2/10[23]
Tom Hull – on the WebB+ ((2-star Honorable Mention)(2-star Honorable Mention))[24]

Detroit 2 was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 71, based on eight reviews.[16] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 6.4 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[15]

Fred Thomas of AllMusic praised the album, stating, "The production is clean and engaging, with polished beats and the occasional glossy hook providing a contrast for Big Sean's visceral rhymes and urgently delivered performances".[17] Reviewing the album for Clash, Robin Murray stated, "Detroit 2 has that passion, that willingness to progress. Equal parts entertaining and wide, it finds the rapper coming full circle, only to find himself once more".[19] In a positive review, A. D. Amorosi of Variety wrote that "Big Sean makes Detroit 2 a real and righteous place, even if he has to use a handful of holy clichés to prove it".[25] Rashad Grove of Consequence said, "Undoubtedly, Big Sean's growth as an artist and, more importantly, as a human being is the scarlet thread that ties Detroit 2 together. The complexity of the human experience, as told from the vast experiences of Sean's own life, comes shining through".[20] HipHopDX's reviewer Mark Elibert stated in his review that "Detroit 2 shows when Big Sean opens up and tells his story he's an artist worthy of being in the conversation of the best of his era. He just needs to come back stronger with more airtight songs and not attempt to attract every audience that's out there".[21]

In a lukewarm review, NME's Will Lavin wrote, "Although it can be overblown, Sean's passion is unreserved here, the record peppered with Instagram-worthy captions that urge listeners to take inspiration from their surroundings while keeping friends and family close. This is why Sean's name continues to stay on the lips of rap connoisseurs almost a decade after his debut".[22] In a mixed review, Pitchfork's Drew Millard stated: "On his fifth solo album, Big Sean gets personal, leans on a slate of high-profile guests to provide most of the entertainment, and struggles to deliver anything that isn't fundamentally embarrassing."[23]

Year-end lists

[edit]
Select year-end rankings of Detroit 2
Publication List Rank Ref.
Complex The Best Albums of 2020
49
[26]
HotNewHipHop Top 25 Hottest Hip-Hop Albums of 2020
24
[27]

Commercial performance

[edit]

Detroit 2 debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 103,000 album-equivalent units (including 30,000 pure album sales) in its first week.[28] This became Sean's third US number-one debut and his seventh top-ten album.[28] The album also accumulated a total of 93.55 million on-demand US streams from all its tracks, in the week ending September 19, 2020.[28] In its second week, the album dropped to number seven on the chart, earning an additional 37,000 units.[29]

Track listing

[edit]
Detroit 2 track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Why Would I Stop?"
2:32
2."Lucky Me"
4:08
3."Deep Reverence" (featuring Nipsey Hussle)
3:51
4."Wolves" (featuring Post Malone)
3:19
5."Body Language" (featuring Ty Dolla Sign and Jhené Aiko)
3:44
6."Story by Dave Chappelle"
  • S. Anderson
  • Chahayed
 2:35
7."Harder than My Demons"
2:11
8."Everything That's Missing" (featuring Dwele)
  • S. Anderson
  • Andwele Gardner
  • Biral
  • Baptiste
  • Feigenbaum
  • Walton
  • A. Johnson
  • Gregg Rominiecki
3:14
9."ZTFO"
2:16
10."Guard Your Heart" (featuring Anderson .Paak, Earlly Mac and Wale)
4:18
11."Respect It" (featuring Young Thug and Hit-Boy)
3:27
12."Lithuania" (featuring Travis Scott)
  • S. Anderson
  • Webster
  • Hollis
  • Brown
  • Hit-Boy
  • Audio Anthem[b]
3:19
13."Full Circle" (featuring Key Wane and Diddy)
Key Wane2:58
14."Time In" (performed by Twenty88)
2:57
15."Story by Erykah Badu"
 2:10
16."Feed"
3:02
17."The Baddest"
No I.D.3:09
18."Don Life" (featuring Lil Wayne)
3:14
19."Friday Night Cypher" (featuring Tee Grizzley, Kash Doll, Cash Kidd, Payroll, 42 Dugg, Boldy James, Drego, Sada Baby, Royce da 5'9" and Eminem)
9:28
20."Story by Stevie Wonder"
  • S. Anderson
  • Chahayed
 2:13
21."Still I Rise" (featuring Dom Kennedy)
3:07
Deluxe edition (bonus tracks)
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
23."Overtime"
  • S. Anderson
  • Hollis
  • Weir
  • the Tucker Brothers
  • Hit-Boy
  • Key Wane
  • the Tucker Brothers
3:23
24."Single Again"
3:23
25."Bezerk" (featuring ASAP Ferg and Hit-Boy)
  • Anderson
  • Hollis
  • Darold Brown
  • Corbett
  • Davis
  • Hit-Boy
  • G Dav
  • Corbett[a]
2:30
iTunes Store edition
No.TitleLength
22."Harder than My Demons" (music video)2:22

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer
  • ^[b] signifies an additional producer
  • "Feed" is stylized in all caps

Sample credits

Personnel

[edit]

Musicians

  • Comic J Will – additional vocals (3)
  • Johan Lenox – additional vocals (3, 18), string arrangement (3, 8, 18, 24), programming (8, 18), keyboards (18)
  • Yasmeen Al-Mazeedi – violin (3, 8, 18, 24)
  • ASAP Rocky – additional vocals (4)
  • Gregg Rominiecki – additional vocals (4)
  • Rogét Chahayed – keyboards (6, 15, 20)
  • Dave Chappelle – spoken word (6)
  • Anthony "Jawan" McEastland – background vocals (7)
  • Chelsea West – background vocals (7)
  • Justin Bieber – background vocals (7)
  • Nikki Grier – background vocals (7)
  • James Anderson – additional vocals (8, 16)
  • David Young – horn (8)
  • Travis Scott – additional vocals (9)
  • No I.D. – drums (9), drum programming (17)
  • Keith Sweat – additional vocals (14)
  • Erykah Badu – spoken word (15)
  • Kyle Stewart – additional vocals (18)
  • Meek Mill – additional vocals (18)
  • Stevie Wonder – spoken word (20)
  • Kierra Sheard – background vocals (21)
  • Marc Bolin – sousaphone (21), tuba (21)
  • Lemar Guillary – trombone (21)
  • Darhyl "DJ" Camper Jr. – trumpet (21)
  • Dontae Winslow – trumpet (21)
  • Emile Martinez – trumpet (21)
  • Michael Cotton – trumpet (21)
  • Jhené Aiko – background vocals (24)
  • Ty Dolla Sign – background vocals (24)

Technical

  • Colin Leonard – mastering engineer (all tracks)
  • Gregg Rominiecki – mixer (1–5, 7–14, 16–18, 20, 21, 23, 25), recording engineer (1–5, 7–14, 16–21, 23–25), recording arranger (19)
  • Manny Marroquin – mixer (19)
  • Tom Kahre – recording engineer (1–5, 7–14, 16–21, 23), vocal producer (5, 12), recording arranger (19)
  • Hit-Boy – recording engineer (3), recording arranger (19)
  • Barrington Hall – recording engineer (19)
  • Omar Loya – recording engineer (19)
  • Witt – recording arranger (19)
  • Alec Foss – assistant mixer (1, 2, 4, 5, 11, 12, 18)
  • Hector Fernandez – assistant mixer (3, 8–10, 13, 14, 16, 17, 21)
  • Andy Gurerrero – assistant mixer (4, 18)
  • David Kim – mixer (23), recording engineer (25)
  • Jaycen Joshua – mixer (24)
  • DJ Riggins – assistant mixer (24)
  • Jacob Richards – assistant mixer (24)
  • Mike Seaberg – assistant mixer (24)

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications and sales for Detroit 2
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[46] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b McCollum, Brian (September 3, 2020). "Big Sean: 'Detroit 2' is a salute to his city's 'undeniable soul'". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  2. ^ Lawrence, Derek (August 24, 2020). "Big Sean reveals release date for Detroit 2". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  3. ^ Rouhani, Neena (October 29, 2021). "Big Sean Says He's Left Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music Record Label". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  4. ^ Minsker, Evan (August 25, 2020). "Big Sean Shares Nipsey Hussle–Featuring New Song "Deep Reverence": Listen". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  5. ^ Price, Joe (March 5, 2021). "Big Sean Pays Tribute to Nipsey Hussle in New 'Deep Reverence' Video". Complex. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Big Sean Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  7. ^ "Top 40 Rhythmic Crossover Radio Music News, Charts, Top Songs, Stations". All Access. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  8. ^ Aniftos, Rania (November 20, 2020). "Big Sean & Post Malone Take a Walk on the Wild Side in 'Wolves' Video". Billboard. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  9. ^ Reed, Ryan (August 31, 2020). "Watch Big Seans Surreal, Symbolic "Harder Than My Demons Video"". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  10. ^ Findlay, Mitch (August 31, 2020). "Big Sean Delivers New Single 'Harder Than My Demons'". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  11. ^ "Big Sean Chart History: Bubbling Under Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  12. ^ "Big Sean and Travis Scott Team Up in 'Lithuania' Video". Rap-Up. September 4, 2020. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  13. ^ Walker, Joe (September 17, 2020). "Watch Big Sean's "ZTFO" Music Video". OnSMASH. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  14. ^ Blistein, Jon (December 16, 2020). "Big Sean, Jhené Aiko Pay Homage to Nineties Romance Films in 'Body Language' Video". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  15. ^ a b "Detroit 2 by Big Sean reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  16. ^ a b "Detroit 2 by Big Sean Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  17. ^ a b Thomas, Fred. "Detroit 2 – Big Sean". AllMusic. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  18. ^ McMullen, Chase (September 11, 2020). "Album Review: Big Sean – Detroit 2". Beats Per Minute. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  19. ^ a b Murray, Robin (September 4, 2020). "Big Sean – Detroit 2". Clash. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  20. ^ a b Grove, Rashad (September 8, 2020). "Big Sean Rediscovers Himself on Detroit 2". Consequence. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  21. ^ a b Elibert, Mark (September 14, 2020). "Review: Big Sean Delivers An Average Self-Help Guide With 'Detroit 2'". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  22. ^ a b Lavin, Will (September 7, 2020). "Big Sean – 'Detroit 2' album review". NME. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  23. ^ a b Millard, Drew (September 10, 2020). "Big Sean: Detroit 2 Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  24. ^ Hull, Tom (January 26, 2021). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  25. ^ Amorosi, A. D. (September 4, 2020). "Review: Big Sean's 'Detroit 2' Motors With Post Malone, Dave Chappelle". Variety. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  26. ^ Schube, Will (December 1, 2020). "The Best Albums of 2020". Complex. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  27. ^ "Top 25 Hottest Hip-Hop Albums of 2020". HotNewHipHop. December 15, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  28. ^ a b c Caulfield, Keith (September 13, 2020). "Big Sean's 'Detroit 2' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  29. ^ Caulfield, Keith (September 20, 2020). "YoungBoy Never Broke Again Achieves Third No. 1 Album in Less Than a Year on the Billboard 200 Chart With 'Top'". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  30. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Big Sean – Detroit 2". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  31. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Big Sean – Detroit 2" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  32. ^ "Ultratop.be – Big Sean – Detroit 2" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  33. ^ "Ultratop.be – Big Sean – Detroit 2" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  34. ^ "Big Sean Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  35. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Big Sean – Detroit 2". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  36. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Big Sean – Detroit 2" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  37. ^ "Lescharts.com – Big Sean – Detroit 2". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  38. ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  39. ^ "Charts.nz – Big Sean – Detroit 2". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  40. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Big Sean – Detroit 2". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  41. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  42. ^ "Big Sean Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  43. ^ "Big Sean Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  44. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 7, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  45. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 7, 2020. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  46. ^ "American album certifications – Big Sean – Detroit 2". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
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