Blue Lips (Schoolboy Q album)

Blue Lips is the sixth studio album by American rapper Schoolboy Q. It was released on March 1, 2024, through Top Dawg Entertainment and distributed by Interscope Records. The album features guest appearances from Ab-Soul, AzChike, Childish Major, Devin Malik, Freddie Gibbs, Jozzy, Lance Skiiwalker, and Rico Nasty. It marks his first studio album release in five years, since 2019's Crash Talk.
Despite being less commercially successful than his previous albums, Blue Lips received widespread acclaim from music critics, with most considering it his best work to date. The album debuted at number 13 on the US Billboard 200 chart. It was supported by the lead single "Yeern 101".
Following the release of Crash Talk (2019), the rapper first promised the follow-up record to his fifth studio album during a concert in January 2020. However, he would not release original solo material until April 2022, with the single "Soccer Dad". First specific updates about an upcoming project arrived on June 6, 2023, when the rapper revealed that his next album was "in the mixing process" at the time and a release would be "coming very very soon". In September 2023, he elaborated on his decision of not releasing albums as frequently as others by clarifying that he does not view "it as a sport" but instead wants to move off "peace" and his "experiences". He previously promised a return "this year" on August 29.
On February 1, 2024, Q set up a countdown finishing on March 1 on his website, alongside the display of the album title. He also released a trailer that plays an "atmospheric beat" and showcases the "dictionary definition" of the title Blue Lips. Also included in the 37-second video is a tracklist, consisting of 17 tracks, projected on a "film-studio wall". It was also revealed that Q would start previewing the album every Tuesday and Thursday leading up to the album.
On February 6, Q released music videos for the songs "Blueslides" and the Devin Malik-assisted "Back n Love", being classified as "album previews" that were not released on digital streaming platforms. Q would also post mini-vlogs on his social media platforms, as well as his YouTube channel, on February 8 and 13 respectively. On February 15, the official lead single "Yeern 101" was released with an accompanying music video. The album cover was revealed the next day, with preorders for the album's merchandise also going up, including physical (vinyl and CD) copies of the album. On February 20, Q continued sharing "album previews", releasing music videos for the songs "Cooties" and the Devin Malik / Lance Skiiiwalker-assisted "Love Birds".
Blue Lips was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received a weighted average score of 87, based on seven reviews.
Karan Singh of HipHopDX wrote: "whereas a lot of listeners might be tempted to ask themselves if ScHoolboy Q's latest offering was worth the wait, his remarkable growth also suggests that years of experience is perhaps what births the richest music, especially in a word-heavy genre like rap". Dylan Green of Pitchfork wrote: "few MCs, on his label or elsewhere, are capable of firing in so many different directions and hitting this many targets at once without sounding out of their depth, but Q corrals the ups and downs of his lavish lifestyle into a deliriously entertaining joyride". Robin Murray of Clash resumed: "part of why Blue Lips is compelling is that it seduces the listener enough to accept Schoolboy Q on his own terms". PumpBoffBag of Sputnikmusic gave a positive review, stating, "Back with a bang so refined it's positively deafening, Blue Lips is an intriguing, befuddling, unique collection of songs that signals the start of a new era for ScHoolboy Q: the man who survived the CrasH".
Rolling Stone's Mosi Reeves wrote that the album "represents a moment when listeners can fully appreciate Q for his singular ability to craft compelling, thought-provoking gems" without comparing him to ex-labelmate Kendrick Lamar. Paul Attard of Slant Magazine found the album "epitomizes what a return to form should strive for: to serve as a reminder of past greatness, yes, but to also be a bold departure from what's come before, embracing risks and pushing boundaries, even if it occasionally teeters on the edge of excess".
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