I Never Liked You Review

After several years of maintenance this one has a subject, and the difference is immediate. The whole album circles a specific bitterness about a relationship, and because he keeps refusing to admit that is what it is about, the boasts start sounding like a defence rather than a flex. Wait for U is the obvious highlight, a Tems sample handled with unusual restraint and one of the most affecting vocals he has recorded.

Puffin on Zootiez has the best beat. Love You Better and I'm Dat N is where the writing bites. Massaging Me is grim and effective. It still runs long at sixteen tracks and the middle third repeats itself, which appears to be non negotiable at this point in his career. But there is a record here rather than a supply of songs, and for the first time since 2017 you can sense a reason behind the release date.