Nav - “Demons Protected By Angels” Album Review
*This article contains topics of self harm/suicide that could be triggering. Read at your own discretion*
Less than two months after releasing the teaser “Never Sleep” (with Lil Baby feat. Travis Scott) shortly followed by another track, “Wrong Decisions” Canadian rapper Navraj Singh Goraya, more commonly known as Nav, has just dropped his latest album, “Demons Protected By Angels.”
“Demons Protected By Angels” is a 19-track hip hop/rap album and is Nav’s latest album release since his 2020 mixtape, “Emergency Tsunami.” Jam-packed with features from fellow artists such as Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Baby, Travis Scott, Don Toliver, Future, Gunna, Lil Durk, RealestK, Bryson Tiller, Baby Face Ray, and others Nav’s album is sure to grab everyone’s attention.
With high hopes of diversity in this album, some may find disappointment; most songs started to sound like one long hum with an occasional beat drop serving high cohesion. Lacking energy, Nav’s album will likely serve as good background music and not something one would play in the gym.
Like most of Nav’s earlier work, it slowly becomes evident throughout the album that some songs were more rushed than others. Nav does however offer a unique form of rapping that not all artists are comfortable with or able to release. He is very vulnerable with his work, “Damn near suicidal, almost slit both my wrists” (One Time with Don Toliver).
By tapping into a deeper side and putting it all out on display Nav has a special way of connecting with his fanbase. On the other hand, however, he also has a fair display of corny lines that almost mess up or discredit his initial message, “Gained a little weight, gotta watch my carbs, but I still get my dough” (Last of the Mohicans) This diverse variation of moods throws off the flow and confuses the mood of the entire album.
After already gaining 30 million plays on Spotify since its release in late July “Never Sleep” (with Lil Baby feat. Travis Scott) stands out the most on the album. Honorary shoutout to “One Time” (with Don Toliver feat. Future), “Interstellar” (with Lil Uzi Vert), and “Playa” (with Gunna). These songs all differ and help keep the album on track.
It feels as though Nav gives a lot of creative reins to the artists on the features. Unfortunately, however, the weakest songs on the albums were ones containing just Nav such as, “Last of the Mohicans,” “Weirdo” and “Don’t Compare.”
With expectations set low for “Demons Protected by Angels,” Nav met them. He managed to release a lengthy album with strong candidates for features and fell short on notable bars. Lacking consistency this album is not one that could be played without skips. As mentioned prior Nav excels at tapping into his vulnerable side sadly, he struggles to keep an audience engaged. In the future, hopefully if Nav spends about two years on an album with amazing features there will be more notable bangers.
Rating: 4/10
Reviewer’s Favorite Songs: “Never Sleep,” “One Time,” and “Interstellar”
Reviewer’s Least Favorite Songs: “Last of the Mohicans,” “Weirdo,” and “Don’t Compare”
Vanessa Wasden is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email vaw5153@psu.edu.
