Megan: Act II
Megan: Act II | ||||
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Studio album (reissue) by | ||||
Released | October 25, 2024 | |||
Length | 30:00 | |||
Label | Hot Girl Productions Warner Records | |||
Producer |
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Megan Thee Stallion chronology | ||||
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Singles from Megan: Act II | ||||
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Megan: Act II is a reissue of American rapper Megan Thee Stallion's third studio album, Megan (2024).[1] It was released through Hot Girl Productions on October 25, 2024.[2][3] The album features guest appearances from Flo Milli, Twice, Spiritbox, and RM of BTS, who appears on the bonus track "Neva Play".[4][5]
Background
[edit]In October 2023, Megan Thee Stallion officially left her label 1501 Certified Entertainment, three years after prosecuting the label for allegedly failing to uphold the integrity of and renegotiate her recording contract.[6][7] Now releasing music under her self-funded Hot Girl Productions, she teased her first post-departure project via three Instagram posts on October 12,[8] which were collectively captioned "Let's begin". Each post featured one image that, when combined, read "Act One".[9] The project was revealed to be her third studio album Megan, released on June 28, 2024.[10] It debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 and featured the US number-one song "Hiss", the album's second single.[11]
Following the album's release, Megan Thee Stallion promoted "Mamushi" (2024), featuring Japanese musician Yuki Chiba, as the final single from Megan.[12] Later that year, she began teasing a collaboration with a member from the South Korean boy group BTS, having worked with them on a remix of the group's 2021 single "Butter".[13] The collaboration, "Neva Play", featured rapper RM and was released on September 6.[14] The same month, she posted a short video on Instagram that showed her transform into a butterfly and several photos that read "Act Two" when arranged as a grid. Megan Thee Stallion captioned the video by saying "Stay tuned".[15] Megan Thee Stallion teased the then unnamed project as a mixtape on October 3 via her X account, claiming it would be the "hardest mixtape of 2024".[16] She later officially announced the Megan: Act II deluxe edition on October 18 via her Instagram account,[17] later revealing the tracklist on October 23.[18]
Critical reception
[edit]Kyann-Sian Williams of NME gave the album 5 out of 5 stars, writing that the second act "confirms why she [...], despite all the adversity that has plagued her in recent years, firmly stands atop the rap world as the princess of rap", praising the collaborations, which "improve greatly on those that were offered up on Megan".[19] Matthew Ritchie of Pitchfork rated the album 7/10 and wrote in a review, "The album feels spiritually aligned to her Tina Snow and Something for Thee Hotties tapes: a creative recentering marked by funny, well-varnished raps that arrive with a refreshing lightness and freedom."[20]
Track listing
[edit]No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Bigger in Texas" | Megan Pete |
|
| 2:32 |
2. | "Bourbon" | Pete |
|
| 2:46 |
3. | "Number One Rule" | Pete | 2:20 | ||
4. | "Roc Steady" (featuring Flo Milli) |
|
| LilJuMadeDaBeat | 2:19 |
5. | "Best Friend" | Pete |
|
| 2:22 |
6. | "Right Now" | Pete | 2:52 | ||
7. | "Mamushi" (remix; featuring Twice) |
| Koshiro Ota | Koshy | 2:35 |
8. | "TYG" (featuring Spiritbox) |
|
| 2:27 | |
9. | "Motion" | Pete |
|
| 2:14 |
10. | "Fell in Love" | Pete |
|
| 2:27 |
11. | "He Think I Love Him" | Pete |
| 1:35 | |
12. | "Like a Freak" | Pete |
| 1:16 | |
13. | "Neva Play" (featuring RM of BTS) |
|
|
| 2:37 |
Total length: | 30:00 |
Notes
[edit]- Disc 2 mirrors the track listing of Megan.
- ^[a] "Roc Steady" contains a sample from "Goodies" performed by Ciara and Petey Pablo, produced by Lil Jon.
- ^[b] "He Think I Love Him" contains a sample from "I Think I Love Her" performed by Gucci Mane and Ester Dean, produced by Polow Da Don.
- ^[c] "Like a Freak" contains a sample from "Like a G6" performed by Far East Movement and Dev, produced by The Cataracs.
Personnel
[edit]- Megan Pete – lead vocals, writer (all tracks)
- Flo Milli – featured vocals (track 4)
- Twice – featured vocals (track 7)
- Spiritbox – featured vocals (track 8)
- RM – featured vocals (track 13)
- Dan Braunstein – drums (track 8)
- Mike Stringer – guitar, bass, drums (track 8)
References
[edit]- ^ Mamo, Heran (October 25, 2024). "Megan Thee Stallion Drops 'Megan: Act II' Deluxe Album: Stream It Now". Billboard.
- ^ Mendez, Chris Malone (October 18, 2024). "Megan Thee Stallion Follows Up Self-Titled Album With Megan: Act II". Forbes. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
- ^ Duran, Anagricel (October 18, 2024). "Megan Thee Stallion announces surprise new album Megan: Act II – coming next week". NME.
- ^ Horvath, Zachary (October 23, 2024). "Megan Thee Stallion Unveils The Tracklist For "Megan: Act II"". HotNewHipHop.
- ^ Mendez, Marisa (October 23, 2024). "Megan Thee Stallion Shares Tracklist & Features for 'Megan: Act 2'". HipHopDX.
- ^ Holmes, Charles (March 5, 2020). "Why Megan Thee Stallion Sued Her Own Label". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
- ^ "Megan Thee Stallion goes indie amid legal battle with label as she teases new 'Act One' project". Los Angeles Times. October 13, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
- ^ Aubrey, Elizabeth (October 29, 2023). "Megan Thee Stallion unveils details of new single, 'Cobra'". NME. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
- ^ Kaufman, Gil (October 13, 2023). "Megan Thee Stallion Bares Her Fangs For Hottieween, Teases 'Let's Begin'". Billboard. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
- ^ Pearce, Sheldon (July 3, 2024). "Unpacking Hip-Hop's Sprawl in 2024's Most Eclectic Release Date". NPR. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
- ^ Anderson, Trevor (July 9, 2024). "Megan Thee Stallion's 'Megan' Charges to No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
- ^ Nevares, Gabriel Bras (August 1, 2024). "Megan Thee Stallion Teases Cinematic Music Video For "MEGAN" Cut "Mamushi"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
- ^ Dailey, Hannah (August 30, 2024). "This Is Not a Drill: Megan Thee Stallion & BTS Are Teaming Up Again on a Collab That's 'Coming Soon'". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 8, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
- ^ Peters, Mitchell (September 1, 2024). "Megan Thee Stallion & BTS' RM Announce 'Neva Play' Collab: Here's When It Arrives". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 8, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
- ^ Saponara, Michael (October 18, 2024). "Megan Thee Stallion Announces 'Megan: Act II' Deluxe Release Date". Billboard. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
- ^ Trapp, Malcolm (October 3, 2024). "Megan Thee Stallion Says She's Sitting On The "Hardest Mixtape" Of 2024". Rap-Up. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
- ^ Duran, Anagricel (October 18, 2024). "Megan Thee Stallion announces surprise new album 'MEGAN: Act II' – coming next week". NME. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
- ^ Saponara, Michael (October 23, 2024). "Megan Thee Stallion Reveals 'Megan: Act II' Track List Featuring Twice, Flo Milli & RM of BTS". Billboard. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
- ^ Williams, Kyann-Sian (October 28, 2024). "Megan Thee Stallion – Megan: Act II review: the Houston Hottie ends 2024 with a bang". NME. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
- ^ Ritchie, Matthew (October 30, 2024). "Megan Thee Stallion: MEGAN: ACT II". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 4, 2024.