# Ben (Macklemore album)

Ben is the third solo studio album by American rapper Macklemore. It was released on March 3, 2023, by Bendo and Warner Music. It features guest appearances by charlieonnafriday, Collett, DJ Premier, Jackson Lee Morgan, Livingston, Morray, NLE Choppa, Sarah Barthel, Tones and I, and Vic Daggs II. It is his first album in 6 years since his 2017 album Gemini. The album was recorded between 2020 and 2022.
The album garnered positive reviews from critics. Ben debuted and peaked at number 18 on the Billboard 200 and spawned five singles: "Chant", "Maniac", "Faithful", "Heroes" and "No Bad Days".

## Background and promotion

Macklemore officially revealed the album's release date and cover art on November 7, 2022. He has stated that much of the album's content was influenced by his relapse with alcohol addiction during the COVID-19 lockdowns: "I think that pain is a catalyst for great art," he said. "I don't want to inflict the pain on myself anymore to make art. It's not like I need to self-sabotage in order to create, but I think that it created some darker, more honest, and vulnerable moments on the album."
On February 16, 2023, Macklemore and his seven-year-old daughter, Sloane, filmed part of their music video for "No Bad Days" at the Climate Pledge Arena during a Seattle Kraken hockey game. Sloane directed the entire music video, which was released March 3, 2023.

### Singles

The album was preceded by four singles. The first single, "Chant" with Tones and I, was released on July 22, 2022. The second single, "Maniac" featuring Windser, was released on August 19, 2022. The third single, "Faithful" featuring NLE Choppa, was released on October 28, 2022. The fourth single, "Heroes" featuring DJ Premier, was released on January 20, 2023. The fifth single, "No Bad Days" featuring Collett, was released to contemporary hit radio on March 14, 2023.

## Ben Tour
### Setlist

* "Chant"
* "Thrift Shop"
* "No Bad Days"
* "Downtown"
* "Same Love"
* "White Walls"
* "Maniac"
* "Heroes"
* "Wings"
* "Otherside"
* "These Days"
* "Starting Over"
* "1984"
* "And We Danced"
* "Dance Off"
* "Glorious"
* "Tail Lights"
* "The Town"
* "My Oh My"
* "Good Old Days"
* "Can't Hold Us"

### Tour dates

List of concerts, showing date, city, country and venue :
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
| 2023 ||||
| Europe ||||
| April 3 | Dublin | Ireland | 3Arena |
| April 4 | Dublin | Ireland | 3Arena |
| April 7 | Glasgow | Scotland | O2 Academy |
| April 9 | Manchester | England | Victoria Warehouse |
| April 11 | Birmingham | England | O2 Academy |
| April 12 | London | England | Brixton Academy |
| April 16 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | AFAS Live |
| April 17 | Brussels | Belgium | Forest National |
| April 18 | Paris | France | Zénith Paris |
| April 19 | Paris | France | Zénith Paris |
| April 21 | Cologne | Germany | Lanxess Arena |
| April 22 | Berlin | Germany | Verti Music Hall |
| April 24 | Munich | Germany | Olympiahalle |
| April 25 | Offenbach | Germany | Stadthalle |
| April 27 | Hamburg | Germany | Edel-optics.de Arena |
| April 29 | Warsaw | Poland | EXPO XXI |
| April 39 | Vienna | Austria | Wiener Stadthalle |
| May 2 | Zürich | Switzerland | The Hall |
| May 3 | Milan | Italy | Alcatraz |
| May 4 | Milan | Italy | Alcatraz |
| May 6 | Stavanger | Norway | Kongeparken |
| May 7 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Vega |
| May 9 | Oslo | Norway | Sentrum Scene |
| May 11 | Stockholm | Sweden | Gröna Lund |
| June 29 | Marmande | France | Plaine De La Filhole |
| July 1 | St. Gallen | Switzerland | Open Air St. Gallen |
| July 2 | Arras | France | Main Square Festival |
| July 22 | Ostrava | Czechia | Colours of Ostrava |
| August 11 | Saalburg | Germany | SonneMondSterne |
| August 16 | Esch-sur-Alzette | Luxembourg | Rockhal |
| August 20 | Hasselt | Belgium | Pukkelpop |
| September 10 | Berlin | Germany | Lollapalooza |
| North America ||||
| September 17 | Nashville | United States | Ryman Auditorium |
| September 19 | Washington, D.C. | United States | The Anthem |
| September 21 | Boston | United States | MGM Music Hall at Fenway |
| September 22 | New York City | United States | The Rooftop at Pier 17 |
| September 23 | Philadelphia | United States | The Met |
| September 26 | Toronto | Canada | Rebel |
| September 27 | Detroit | United States | The Fillmore |
| September 29 | Chicago | United States | Aragon Ballroom |
| September 30 | Milwaukee | United States | The Rave/Eagles Club |
| October 1 | Minneapolis | United States | Minneapolis Armory |
| October 3 | Denver | United States | Mission Ballroom |
| October 5 | Salt Lake City | United States | The Complex |
| October 7 | Portland | United States | Roseland Theater |
| October 8 | Portland | United States | Roseland Theater |
| October 9 | Portland | United States | Roseland Theater |
| October 10 | Spokane | United States | Spokane Arena |
| October 11 | Missoula | United States | Adams Center |
| October 12 | Boise | United States | Idaho Central Arena |
| October 14 | San Francisco | United States | The Masonic |
| October 17 | Phoenix | United States | Arizona Financial Theatre |
| October 18 | Los Angeles | United States | Hollywood Palladium |
| Middle East ||||
| October 28 | Dubai | UAE | Coca-Cola Arena |
| North America ||||
| December 21 | Seattle | United States | Climate Pledge Arena |
| December 22 | Seattle | United States | Climate Pledge Arena |
| 2024 ||||
| Oceania ||||
| May 8 | Wellington | New Zealand | TSB Arena |
| May 9 | Auckland | New Zealand | Spark Arena |
| May 11 | Sydney | Australia | Hordern Pavilion |
| May 12 | Sydney | Australia | Hordern Pavilion |
| May 13 | Sydney | Australia | Hordern Pavilion |
| May 15 | Melbourne | Australia | Rod Laver Arena |
| May 17 | Brisbane | Australia | Riverstage |
| May 18 | Darwin | Australia | Bassinthegrass |
| May 20 | Perth | Australia | HBF Stadium |
| May 21 | Perth | Australia | HBF Stadium |
| Europe ||||
| May 31 | Hanover | Germany | EXPO Plaza |
| June 1 | Mönchengladbach | Germany | Warsteiner HockeyPark |
| July 11 | Nîmes | France | Arena of Nîmes |

## Critical reception

Professional ratings :
| Aggregate scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 71/100 |
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| HipHopDX | 2.4/5 |
| Pitchfork | 6.0/10 |
| Rolling Stone | |
Ben was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 71, based on four reviews.
Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic wrote, "Altogether, Ben feels like the first time Macklemore has truly let listeners into his inner world, showcasing his underrated lyrical skills and enough varied production to keep the album moving forward toward a hopeful finish." Clayton Purdom of Rolling Stone stated, "To be sure, Ben features plenty of catharsis and oversharing, but it also has no grand answers or conclusions, just apologies, acceptance, and ambiguity. Some of Ben's success must be attributed to the producer Budo, a longtime collaborator, here providing skillful texture to the album's broader arc, but the truth is that Macklemore, who on his last album rhymed 'porno' with 'DiGiorno,' has matured. Ben is handily his best album. It's a midcareer downshift from an artist who desperately needed it."
In a mixed review, Matthew Ismael Ruiz of Pitchfork wrote, "These experiences, while certainly authentic, aren't particularly interesting. The struggle of the wealthy and talented white rapper was never especially sympathetic. And on Ben, his trials are mostly internal, the enduring struggle of man to find meaning and leave a legacy. This Macklemore is likely the most honest version we've seen to date." Taylor Rubright of HipHopDX also gave a mixed review, stating "Macklemore is a dexterous rapper at his best, but the songs that showcase his talents are mostly confined to the middle of the album", additionally commenting that "despite some solid songwriting about addiction and mortality, Macklemore's comeback album still experiences the same struggles with corniness and over-sincerity that torpedoed him from a household name to an afterthought, leading to a mixed bag that's more admirable than actualized."

## Track listing

Note
* signifies a co-producer

## Charts

Chart performance for Ben :
| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 48 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) | 17 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) | 69 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) | 107 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard) | 61 |
| French Albums (SNEP) | 80 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) | 37 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC) | 44 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 17 |
| UK Album Downloads (OCC) | 18 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC) | 9 |
| UK R&B Albums (OCC) | 3 |
| US Billboard 200 | 18 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard) | 4 |
| US Top Rap Albums (Billboard) | 6 |