Me vs. Myself
| Me vs. Myself | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | December 9, 2022 | |||
| Length | 68:55 | |||
| Label |
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| Producer |
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| A Boogie wit da Hoodie chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Me vs. Myself | ||||
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Me vs. Myself is the fourth studio album by American rapper A Boogie wit da Hoodie. It was released through Atlantic Records and Highbridge the Label on December 9, 2022. The album features guest appearances from Roddy Ricch, Tory Lanez, Kodak Black, G Herbo, Lil Durk, Don Q, and H.E.R. The deluxe edition was released three days later and included an additional guest appearance from the late PnB Rock for the only newly-added track, "Needed That". Production was handled by a variety of record producers, such as A Boogie himself, S.Dot, P2J, Kofo, Wheezy, Don Cannon, Lee Major, Sean Momberger, Rogét Chahayed, Band on the Beat, Chuck Taylor, OG Parker, Smash David, and Dez Wright, among others.
Background
[edit]On the same day the album was released, A Boogie was interviewed by GQ, in which he talked about how the album is different from his previous projects:
I feel like every single album, I take a step or two forward. Some of my fans prefer my older songs because they have specific memories from that time that the music is forever tied to. But the truth is, I got better. I would love for my fans to play the first Artist mix tape and then play Me Vs. Myself. I promise you, the quality, the wordplay, everything is better. You wouldn't even think it's the same person.[1]
Release and promotion
[edit]On September 5, 2022, A Boogie announced the title of the album and release date and also shared its cover art through social media, which was originally scheduled to be released on November 4.[2] On October 27, he revealed the tracklist, which listed the song titles and blurred out the names of the featured artists for their unreleased songs with him, along with listing which side each song is on: "Artist" or "A Boogie".[3] On October 31, four days before it was originally set to be released, he announced that it would be pushed back to December due to the fact that Canadian rapper Drake and Atlanta-based rapper 21 Savage released their collaborative studio album, Her Loss, the same day.[4]
Singles
[edit]The lead single of the album, "Playa", which features American singer-songwriter H.E.R., was released on April 1, 2022.[5] The second single, "B.R.O. (Better Ride Out)", which features fellow American rapper Roddy Ricch, was released on October 7.[6] The third single, "Take Shots", which features Canadian rapper and singer Tory Lanez, was released on October 21.[7] The sole promotional single, "Ballin", was released on November 3.[8]
The single "24 Hours", which features fellow American rapper Lil Durk, was released as the lead single from A Boogie's debut extended play, B4 AVA, on May 21, 2021.[9] The song "Man in the Mirror" is also taken from B4 AVA, which was released on December 10 that year. Both tracks appear on Me vs. Myself.
Critical reception
[edit]| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 63/100[10] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| Clash | 6/10[12] |
| Rolling Stone |  [13] |
| Slant Magazine | [14] |
| The Telegraph | [15] |
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 63 based on five reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[10]
AllMusic stated, "The album runs more than an hour, with 23 tracks ruminating on similar musical and topical themes, but somehow Me vs. Myself stays fresh throughout. This is due in part to the strong production (which includes work from Boogie himself) and also a plethora of exciting guest star appearances."[11] Kathleen Johnston of The Telegraph wrote, "Most of the songs here do somewhat merge into one, long, party soundtrack that is enjoyable to listen to and yet entirely forgettable. This is not a record that moves the needle on artistry, but it is sure to wrack [sic] up considerable streaming numbers in the rap-obsessed States in particular, helped along the way by strategic decisions such as big-name features and extended track list. Dubose knows his blueprint – hoods off to him."[15] Robin Murray of Clash wrote, "Nothing here stands out as bad, per se, it's more that A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie has long since perfected this approach. It's weighed down by expectation, and the knowledge that previous hits are already out there – probably on your own playlist. A record that feels very much like a side-step, Me vs Myself contains little of the soul-searching that the title suggests."[12] Mosi Reeves of Rolling Stone commented, "Me vs. Myself is meant to reflect Boogie's awareness of his strengths and limitations, but he's balling too hard to get too deep."[13] Paul Attard of Slant Magazine wrote, "The rest of the material on Me vs. Myself isn't so much bad as one-dimensional. Slick, inoffensive pieces of pop-rap like 'Ballin' and 'Regular' have a few winning charms going for them, but their inclusions, along with tracks like the patronizing 'Come Here,' suggest an artist who lacks the capacity to push himself out of his comfort zone or self-edit. In the end, A Boogie plays it too safe, and in the process, ultimately proves how accurate the album's title really is."[14]
Commercial performance
[edit]Me vs Myself debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 53,000 album-equivalent units (including 3,000 copies in pure album sales) in its first week.[16] This became A Boogie s fourth US top-ten debut.[16] The album also accumulated a total of 66.92 million on-demand official streams from the album’s songs.[16]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Food for Thought" |
| Mitch Mula | 2:54 |
| 2. | "B.R.O. (Better Ride Out)" (featuring Roddy Ricch) |
| 2:58 | |
| 3. | "Take Shots" (featuring Tory Lanez) |
|
| 4:41 |
| 4. | "Water (Drowning Pt. 2)" (featuring Kodak Black) |
|
| 3:26 |
| 5. | "Money Conversations" |
|
| 3:11 |
| 6. | "Turn Off the Radio" |
|
| 3:05 |
| 7. | "Last Time" (featuring G Herbo) |
|
| 2:59 |
| 8. | "I Need It" |
|
| 3:36 |
| 9. | "Ballin" |
|
| 2:56 |
| 10. | "Emotions" |
| 3:00 | |
| 11. | "Bounce Back" |
|
| 3:01 |
| 12. | "Come Here" |
|
| 3:54 |
| 13. | "Damn Homie" (featuring Lil Durk) |
|
| 3:08 |
| 14. | "Friends with Benefits" |
|
| 2:09 |
| 15. | "Chanelly" (with Don Q) |
|
| 2:28 |
| 16. | "February" |
|
| 2:34 |
| 17. | "Regular" |
|
| 3:04 |
| 18. | "Soul Snatcher" |
|
| 2:50 |
| 19. | "24 Hours" (featuring Lil Durk) |
|
| 3:25 |
| 20. | "Man in the Mirror" |
|
| 3:35 |
| 21. | "Back It Up" |
|
| 3:15 |
| 22. | "Playa" (featuring H.E.R.) |
|
| 2:38 |
| Total length: | 68:55 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23. | "Needed That" (with PnB Rock) |
|
| 3:26 |
| Total length: | 72:21 | |||
Notes
- "Food for Thought", "Take Shots", "Turn Off the Radio", "I Need It", "Emotions", "Come Here", "Friends with Benefits", "February", "Soul Snatcher", "24 Hours", and "Playa" appear on the "Artist" side.
- "B.R.O. (Better Ride Out)", "Water", "Money Conversations", "Last Time", "Ballin", "Bounce Back", "Damn Homie", "Chanelly", "Regular", "Man in the Mirror", and "Back It Up" appear on the "A Boogie" side.
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
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Year-end charts[edit]
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References
[edit]- ^ Clowney, Jeremy (December 9, 2022). "A Boogie's Only Competition Is Himself". GQ. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
- ^ Hynes, Hayley (September 6, 2022). "A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie Announces First Solo Album Since 2020, "Me vs. Myself" Dropping In November". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
- ^ Banks, Lamar (October 27, 2022). "A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie Shares Track List To Upcoming Album 'Me vs Myself'". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
- ^ Cummings-Grady, Mackenzie (November 1, 2022). "A Boogie Wit da Hoodie Delays Album Release to Avoid Competing With Drake and 21 Savage's 'Her Loss'". Complex. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
- ^ Okon, Wongo (April 1, 2022). "A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie Is Ready To Settle Down On The Honest 'Playa' With HER". Uproxx. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
- ^ Espinoza, Joshua (October 7, 2022). "A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie Taps Roddy Ricch for New Single "B.R.O. (Better Ride Out)"". Complex. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
- ^ Powell, Jon (October 21, 2022). "A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and Tory Lanez "Take Shots" on latest single". Revolt. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
- ^ Kearns, Sarah (November 3, 2022). "A Boogie Drops New Single "Ballin" Following Decision To Delay Album Release". Hypebeast. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
- ^ FNR Tigg (May 21, 2021). "A Boogie wit da Hoodie and Lil Durk Team Up on New Track "24 Hours"". Complex. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
- ^ a b "Me vs. Myself by A Boogie wit da Hoodie Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
- ^ a b "Me vs. Myself - A Boogie wit da Hoodie". AllMusic. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
- ^ a b Murray, Robin (December 12, 2022). "A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie – Me vs Myself". Clash. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
- ^ a b Reeves, Mosi (December 12, 2022). "A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie's 'Me vs. Myself' Is Musically Pleasant But Topically Tedious". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
- ^ a b Attard, Paul (December 13, 2022). "A Boogie Wit da Hoodie Me vs. Myself Review: An Artist at Odds with Himself". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
- ^ a b McCormick, Neil (December 9, 2022). "Best albums of the week: Sam Ryder, SZA, Nina Hagen". The Telegraph. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
- ^ a b c Keith Caulfield (December 19, 2022). "SZA Earns First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 With 'SOS'". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
- ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 19 December 2022". The ARIA Report. No. 1711. Australian Recording Industry Association. December 19, 2022. p. 6.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – A Boogie wit da Hoodie – Me vs. Myself" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
- ^ "A Boogie wit da Hoodie Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – A Boogie wit da Hoodie – Me vs. Myself" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
- ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography A Boogie wit da Hoodie". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – A Boogie wit da Hoodie – Me vs. Myself". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
- ^ "A Boogie wit da Hoodie Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
- ^ "A Boogie wit da Hoodie Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2023.