Expensive Pain
Expensive Pain | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 1, 2021 | |||
Length | 55:04 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
| |||
Meek Mill chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Expensive Pain | ||||
|
Expensive Pain is the fifth
Expensive Pain was supported by three singles: "Flamerz Flow", "Sharing Locations" and "Blue Notes 2". The album received generally mixed to positive reviews from music critics, and was a commercial success. It debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 95,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.[2]
Release and promotion
Meek announced the album, cover art, and release date on September 15, 2021.[3] He revealed the tracklist on September 30, the day before the album was released.[4] The album cover art was made by modern artist Nina Chanel Abney.[5]
Singles
Three singles preceded the album's release. "Flamerz Flow" is a bonus track, and it was released with a music video on May 31, 2021, to his YouTube channel, being officially released three days later.[6] "Sharing Locations" featuring Lil Baby and Lil Durk was released on August 27 with a video as the second single.[7] Then "Blue Notes 2" featuring Lil Uzi Vert was the third single, released with a video five days later and performed live on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on September 21.[8][9]
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 64/100[10] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [11] |
Clash | 6/10[12] |
NME | [13] |
Pitchfork | 6.8/10[14] |
Rolling Stone | [15] |
Expensive Pain was met with generally mixed to positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 64, indicating “generally favorable reviews”, based on six reviews.[10]
A.D. Amorosi of Variety praised Meek's progression with this effort calling "Expensive Pain Mill’s best, most fully rounded recorded effort: an album that finally portrays all sides of the rapper’s rise, fall, struggles and revivals, to say nothing of his skills as a writer and as an aggressive flow-acist." He also prasied Mill's braggadocios approach to many of the songs on the project, saying that "Mill comes out with hope and real brio on his side – a confidence that goes way beyond any mere humble-brag or boast."[16]
Commercial performance
Expensive Pain debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 95,000 album-equivalent units (including 10,000 copies in pure album sales) in its first week.[2] This became Meek Mill's fifth US top-ten debut on the chart.[2] The album also accumulated a total of 110.53 million on-demand streams from the songs on the project.[2] In its second week, the album dropped to number four on the chart, earning an additional 46,000 units.[17]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Intro (Hate on Me)" |
| 3:32 |
Total length: | 53:23 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
18. | "Flamerz Flow" |
| 1:41 |
Total length: | 55:04 |
Sample credits
- "Intro (Hate on Me)" contains samples of "Nas, which itself samples "Carmina Burana", written and composed by Carl Orff.
- "Sharing Locations" contains uncredited samples of "Chichovite", performed by 1200.
- "Me (FWM)" contains samples from "Bia’ Bia’", written by Todd Shaw, Stephanie Martin and Sammie Norris, as performed by Lil Jon.
- "Blue Notes 2" is a sequel to "Blue Notes" from DC4, and they both sample "Midnight Blues", performed by Snowy White.
Personnel
- Meek Mill – Vocals (all tracks)
- Popcaan – Vocals (1)
- Sadie Kraft – Vocals (2)
- Lil Baby – Vocals (4)
- Lil Durk – Vocals (4)
- Jena Goldsack – Vocals (5)
- Kehlani – Vocals (6)
- ASAP Ferg – Vocals (7)
- Moneybagg Yo – Vocals (8)
- Giggs – Vocals (10)
- Young Thug – Vocals (11)
- Vory – Vocals (12)
- Lil Uzi Vert – Vocals (14)
- Brent Faiyaz – Vocals (17)
- Cardo – Production (1, 2, 10)
- Nick Papz – Production (4, 8, 14)
- Xander – Production (4, 8, 14)
- Austin Powerz – Production (6, 16, 17)
- Fuse – Production (3, 13)
- KJ – Production (4, 8)
- Boi-1da – Production (7, 12)
- Yung Exclusive – Production (1)
- Johnny Juliano – Production (1)
- Deats – Production (2)
- Yugo Getit – Production (3)
- Gingr – Production (3)
- JW Lucas– Production (3)
- Svdominik – Production (4)
- DZL – Production (5)
- Sav – Production (6)
- Hollywood Cole – Production (7)
- Jahaan Sweet – Production (7)
- Eza – Production (8)
- AT – Production (9)
- Gebrelul – Production (9)
- Emkay – Production (10)
- Tay Keith – Production (11)
- Denaro Love – Production (11)
- Minor2Go – Production (11)
- Maneesh – Production (12)
- Vinylz – Production (12)
- Amore – Production (13)
- Dato – Production (13)
- Dougie on the Beat – Production (15)
- Bkorn – Production (16)
- Brent Faiyaz – Production (17)
- Sevn Thomas – Production (17)
- Paperboy Fabe – Production (17)
- L.3.G.I.O.N. – Production (17)
- 30 Roc – Production (18)
- Datboi Squeeze – Production (18)
- Vianey OJ – Co-production (5)
- Darko – Co-production (5)
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
References
- ^ Blistein, Jon (September 15, 2021). "Meek Mill Announces New Album 'Expensive Pain' With Vice-Filled Album Art". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Keith Caulfield (October 10, 2021). "Taylor Swift's 'Fearless (Taylor's Version)' Returns to No. 1 on Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
- ^ Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (September 15, 2021). "Meek Mill Announces New Album Expensive Pain". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
- ^ Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (September 30, 2021). "Meek Mill shares handwritten 'Expensive Pain' tracklist". Revolt. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
- ^ Blanchet, Brenton (September 28, 2021). "Meek Mill's 'Expensive Pain' Album Art Takes Over Landmarks, Major Cities Across U.S." Complex Networks. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ Su, Sammy (June 2, 2021). "Meek Mill Drops New "Flamerz Flow" Track and Music Video". Hypebeast. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
- ^ Richards, Will (August 27, 2021). "Meek Mill, Lil Baby, and Lil Durk team up on new song 'Sharing Locations'". NME. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
- ^ Gallagher, Alex (August 27, 2021). "Meek Mill recruits Lil Uzi Vert for new single 'Blue Notes 2'". NME. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
- ^ Zemler, Emily (September 21, 2021). "Watch Meek Mill, Lil Uzi Vert Perform 'Blue Notes 2' on 'Fallon'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ a b "Expensive Pain by Meek Mill Metacritic Review". Metacritic. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
- ^ Kellman, Andy. "Meek Mill - Expensive Pain". AllMusic. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
- ^ Murray, Robin (October 1, 2021). "Meek Mill - Expensive Pain A mixed return laden with superstar turns..." Clash. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
- ^ Lavin, Will (October 4, 2021). "Meek Mill – 'Expensive Pain' review: a rushed and haphazard fifth album". NME. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
- ^ Green, Dylan (October 6, 2021). "Meek Mill – 'Expensive Pain' Pitchfork review". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ Reeves, Mosi (October 4, 2021). "Meek Mill is Both Dazzling and Disappointing on 'Expensive Pain'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
- ^ Amorosi, A.D. (October 1, 2021). "Meek Mill Finds a Sweet Spot Between the Serious and Superficial With 'Expensive Pain': Album Review". Variety. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
- ^ Keith Caulfield (October 17, 2021). "Drake's 'Certified Lover Boy' Bounces Back to No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
- ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 11 October 2021". The ARIA Report. No. 1649. Australian Recording Industry Association. October 11, 2021. p. 6.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Meek Mill – Expensive Pain" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Meek Mill – Expensive Pain" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
- ^ "Meek Mill Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Meek Mill – Expensive Pain" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
- ^ "Top Albums (Week 40, 2021)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
- ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. October 11, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
- ^ "Album 2021 uke 40". VG-lista. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Meek Mill – Expensive Pain". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
- ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ "Meek Mill Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
- ^ "Meek Mill Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
- ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2021.