KYLE - “It’s Not So Bad” Album Review
Last Friday American rapper, Kyle–aka SuperDuperKyle–released his 3rd studio album. ‘It’s Not So Bad’ is the first album the rapper has released since his split from Atlantic Records.
In an interview, Kyle told Billboard that going forward in his career, he wanted to be more intentional with his music, without pressure he felt from the label. He also shared when starting to create music for this album he was tired of rap, making this album different from his previous two.
With full creative control over this album, Kyle reveals to his fans the R&B side of his artistry, with a minimal amount of collaborations on this album.
Throughout the pandemic, Kyle recalls telling himself “It’s not so bad” while looking at himself in the mirror, which was a positive affirmation that manifested itself in the rapper’s Jan. 28 release.
The album starts with the groovy track, “C’mon”. This title is repeated several times throughout the album in the intros and backgrounds of other tracks. This two-and-a-half-minute track is the perfect start to the album, priming listeners for everything else that is to follow.
“Personal” takes a bass-boosted R&B approach, which starkly contrasts from the preceding track. The pure distinction between each track keeps listeners engaged, as each one is unpredictable.
One thing that can be expected from Kyle is how dynamic his albums are. Each track is very distinct, giving off different vibes from start to end. The Spanish guitar riff throughout “Sunday” is one of many musical elements that contributes to this.
This album would be considered to be on the shorter side as the total listening time falls under 30 minutes, but quality over quantity should always be the goal, and the results are evident in this work.
Love is one of the themes that lie, first through the cover art and throughout the tracks with one being called “Love’s theme song”. Throughout this track Kyle makes many promises saying, “I won’t get too poppin’ and not call you back,” and alludes to marriage vows with the lyrics, “When you put that ring on you signed up to die for me.”
Kyle also throws in the downfalls of falling in love because of unfaithfulness.
From unfollowing on social media to exposing the things that he found out about, Kyle explains how he didn’t expect this type of deception from the love interest–potentially ex-girlfriend– in “Sheisty”.
“Sheisty just doesn’t seem like it's your style”: these lyrics express the disappointment of having ”Seen her in a pic in a jacuzzi, somewhere out with Uzi”, realizing that the woman he thought he loved was not the caring soul he once thought she was, but simply a clout-chasing, gold digger.
The track “Optimistic” is comparable to the sounds heard in Drake’s past works. To be more specific, this song sounds like a combination of Drake’s past heartfelt albums and his 2016 album “Views”.
With that being said, Kyle’s unrestricted creative capacity creates magic. His music is undoubtedly underrated, but continuing to keep it real and tapping into his genuine musical capacities will continue to propel him into becoming a more prominent force in the music world.
Rating: 8/10
Reviewer’s Favorite Song: “Sunday”
Reviewer’s Least Favorite Song: “Thumb thru (ft. Ivory Scott)”
Abigail Chachoute is a first-year majoring in journalism. To contact her, email axc6070@psu.edu.
