Quavo, who recently headlined the UCONNIC Music Festival earlier this year, dropped his third solo album “QRÖMELIFE” Friday. The album is executive produced by Pharrell Williams and features many big-name artists, such as Future, Tyler, The Creator, A$AP Rocky, Justin Timberlake and more.
Despite a runtime of under 40 minutes, “QRÖMELIFE” is packed with energy from heavy 808s to Latin-inspired percussion. It’s clear that Quavo is trying to have fun and further develop his sound with this LP. He posted on Instagram in September about what inspired him to make this project.
“[Pharrell and I] made this project… when I was still dealing with grief and needed to create and express myself,” Quavo wrote in his Instagram post, referring to the passing of his nephew and fellow member of the Migos, Takeoff.
In an interview on Complex’s Idea Generation, Quavo explains the idea of living a “QRÖME life” or being in a “QRÖME state” comes from pushing forward in life and keeping a positive outlook despite the stress and hardships we might face. His album serves as a reminder to enjoy life because it is such a fragile thing.
The intro, “Backwards,” welcomes us into Atlanta and takes us into its nightlife with a deep bass and triumphant-sounding synths. Add a feature from Atlanta native T.I., and this high energy track sets the tone for the rest of the album.
My favorite song, “BA,” featuring Future, is one of the most contagious on the album. Its 8-bit-sounding synths and snappy hi-hats perfectly match Quavo’s vocals. Future’s verse on the song starts off with “If you see me fightin’ an alligator, help the alligator, I’m goin’ berserk.” Future sits right in the pocket with his playful bars and simply floats on Pharrell’s production.
“Hit-A-Lik” is a very groovy song, accented by what seems to be timbales. It contains brassy synthesizers giving it a celebratory feel as Quavo raps about how he made it out of the hood by cooking up and selling drugs.
Track four, titled “Away,” incorporates unique percussion with the use of hand drums and shakers, giving it a very tropical feel. I feel like I’m lying on a hammock strung between two palm trees with the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Instagram filter over top. The song features Offset, making it their first song together in over five years.
The posse cut “Baby Breath” is a fun, energetic track. The song has great performances from Quavo and A$AP Rocky, but I found Pharrell’s verse to be awkward and just barely passable. Tyler, The Creator’s verse made me burst out laughing on first listen. He raps 15 “Blings” before five “Vrooms,” five “Booms,” and later repeats the name of the song eight times. On his Instagram story, Tyler said the song included “my best verse of all time… (prolly top 25 in rap history).”
The next three tracks, “Trance (Walk It Down),” “Factory Trim” and “Sweep” are all playlist-worthy songs, but they also transition into the lower quality second half of the album.
“Ball My Love” had me yawning on my first listen, but after a few more plays it has admittedly grown on me. The song features an autotuned Lil Baby rapping about experiencing love and trying to put in effort to grow a relationship.
The dumbed-down production on “HAOYU DEWDAT,” along with the use of a cowbell, was not a great design choice by Pharrell. Additionally, the lackluster chorus makes this the one song I actively dislike. Yung Miami’s feature is okay but not nearly enough to save the song.
“House Music” conjures a very luxurious and airy atmosphere but the corny wordplay in its chorus, “Music you buy houses with,” is not clever enough to be as repetitive as it is. Justin Timberlake’s performance is well placed, but the production seems to drown out his vocals and prevents him from fully showcasing his voice.
“Thick in the Mirror” is a groovy laid-back song, but not very special by itself.
The lead single, “HAAVIN,” is a banger. The beat switches to transition between the choruses and the verse makes it easy to put this one on repeat.
On the outro, “Destined,” Quavo raps that he was bound to succeed despite growing up in such a disadvantaged neighborhood. He explains that he won’t apologize for the blessings he’s received and the lifestyle he lives because of it. It’s a fine track to end the album.
Among listeners, the album holds some mixed reviews, but I believe it’s a solid project from Quavo. His charismatic rapping layered over Pharrell’s bouncy production makes it an incredibly fun and enjoyable listen. The summer vibes are undeniable, and this album will be perfect for your summer playlist. (Yes, I know it’s October.)
Rating: 3.5/5.