The album release had originally been delayed but just as fans lost hope, “Savage Mode 2” made its debut. Artists 21 Savage and Metro Boomin dropped their highly anticipated album on October 2 after a long build-up over the summer.
The album was an immediate hit, reaching number 1 on Spotify’s Top 10 US Album Debuts. The 15 songs in the album included three featured artists: Drake, Young Thug, and Young Nudy. There was also a surprise feature from Morgan Freeman, who provided the voice between songs and during the introduction and interlude. The album is 21 Savage’s first release since May and Metro Boomin’s first songs in two years.
The album captures Metro Boomin’s production talent and 21 Savage’s creativity. The unique beats range from throwback to laid back, and the lyrics describe anything from street life to love. Every song has a different feel to it, giving the album a sense of uniqueness that many other recently released rap albums are lacking.
One of the most popular tracks on the album is “Runnin”, with over 10 million Spotify streams in the first five days and over 5 million views on the YouTube music video. Other prominent songs include “Mr. Right Now” (ft. Drake), which has over 10.3 million streams on Spotify.
“Savage Mode 2” is the sequel to the original “Savage Mode”, released in July of 2016 by the same duo of 21 Savage and Metro Boomin. The original had reached the top 25 of the Billboard 200, garnering success for both artists. Both albums do not have many features, with the original “Savage Mode” only having Future appear on one of the more popular songs in the album, “X”.
21 Savage and Metro Boomin have collaborated before, although not just on “Savage Mode” and “Savage Mode 2”. The dynamic duo has teamed up in the album “Without Warning”, where they and Offset created the 10-song album, six of which reached the Billboard Top 100. They also came together in “Not All Heroes Wear Capes” in 2018, where they created two songs together.
The obvious popularity of “Savage Mode 2” make it an immediate success. The creativity from all involved in making the project is spotlighted on every track, and special appearances from Drake, Young Thug, Young Nudy, and especially Morgan Freeman only enhanced the distinct brilliance. It was one of the most anticipated album releases of the year, and it did not disappoint.
Rating: 7/10
Kyle Messina // Staff Writer
