Fivio Foreign - “B.I.B.L.E.” Album Review
Fivio Foreign began to make a name for himself throughout the year 2020. His tracks with Drake, Pop Smoke and Kanye West led to him gaining recognition before ever putting out an album.
Fivio Foreign has finally released his debut album in B.I.B.L.E.
The album features executive production from West and features from Quavo, DJ Khaled, Lil Yachty and many others.
The theme of the title is “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth” which is an allude to the album being a launching point for Foreign’s career.
The album showcases the growth the Foreign has experienced in his technique early in his career. He was previously canned for having a choppy flow with unfulfilled lyrics.
Throughout B.I.B.L.E, Foreign holds concise schemes that hold steady in the process. His rapid improvements are not going unnoticed.
The notable single on the album was “City of Gods. The track is a collaboration between Foreign, Kanye West and Alicia Keys. The track is the highest quality song on the album. West is in his early career form, yet Foreign manages to shine through the track.
This is the second mainstream collaboration between the two after “Off The Grid.”
Kanye West’s production contributions are another standout addition to the project, as most tracks use a similar drum beat but are varied otherwise.
Foreign uses multiple pop samples throughout the album, with the prime example being the backing to Ellie Goulding’s “Lights” being the tempo for the song “World Watching.”
The album, unfortunately, isn’t all positive though. There are a handful of tracks that feel like filler rather than essential songs.
The easy example is the critically disclaimed “B.I.B.L.E. Talk” with DJ Khaled. It’s not really a song as much as a screaming match that took away from the consistency of the album.
Secondly, the rise of New York style drill music is polarizing. Fans of the genre will love this album, but it’s a repetitive style that will leave opposers of the sound dragging behind.
On top of the repetitive nature of the genre, the sound is a toned down version of the genre that just feels like it’s made to reach wider audiences. While it isn’t bad, it doesn’t hold the power the album could have had if Foreign’s inspirations weren’t censored.
Foreign could’ve had a more impactful album had he shied away from the mainstream appeal of big-name features and chose to highlight the scene he came out of. Instead, his record turns into a watered-down track-list that struggled to stand out among modern day rap music.
“B.I.B.L.E.” is an amazing lyrical performance for Fivio Foreign’s debut. But it was clear his goal for the project was to go viral and the album’s overall experience was detracted by that goal.
Rating: 6/10
Reviewers Favorite Songs: “City of Gods,” “World Watching,” “Love Songs”
Reviewers Least Favorite Songs: “B.I.B.L.E. Talk,” “Left Side,” “Whoever”
Evan Smith is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email ers5828@psu.edu
About the Contributors
Evan Smith
First-Year / Broadcast Journalism
