ALBUM REVIEW: slowthai - UGLY

    While slowthai isn't that familiar to me as an American, he seems to be quite the acclaimed and somewhat polarizing figure in the UK - starting out in 2019 with his gritty rap stylings and political commentary, slowthai has steadily been rising in his profile ever since, even amidst (or possibly because of) some controversy (he held a fake severed head of Boris Johnson on-stage). Of course, if this year has taught me anything, it's that it seems to be the year of rappers trying out some rock sounds - Lil Yachty's Let's Start Here. still leaving some waves in my mind. I mention this because slowthai's UGLY incorporates elements of punk into his sound here, and thankfully the results are no MGK album. UGLY is often an angry and powerful album, packed with emotion just as much as it is packed with excellent moments. UGLY is a strong release from slowthai, and could easily stand as the year's best rap album as of now.

    As you've probably expected by the description given above, UGLY is more than just a solid rap album. On this release, slowthai is working with elements of punk, post-punk, and even indie rock at some points, while also staying true to his rap mold, albeit while marrying all of these ideas together - he also utilizes very aggressive moments when rapping, such as the almost industrial beat of album opener "Yum". All of it comes together in what is easily one of the angriest and most visceral musical expressions of the year so far, to the point where I think Young Fathers might be running for their money - Heavy Heavy may have the word in its name, but listen to the frantic percussion and screeching synth work on "Selfish" accentuated by Tyron Frampton. Frampton is an incredibly versatile vocalist, easily going from a powerful rapper to a solid singer whenever the occasion calls for it, such as on the epic "Never Again", possibly the high watermark of the album's artistry.

    This sometimes frantic sound couples brilliantly with the raw performances and lyrical contents of UGLY (which I should now mention is an acronym for U Gotta Love Yourself). Many of the album's lyrical themes touch on struggles with mental health, drug addiction, or more optimistic themes of self-love. "Fuck It Puppet", an impassioned and brutal one-minute rap is probably the most emotionally cutting moment from me on the album, with Frampton's back-and-forth rap battle with an unnamed person who belittles him (he says "I'm depressed" and the voice replies "No you're not", along with other brutal exchanges throughout this number). While it's the album's shortest and probably most basic moment, I can't help but love its frantic energy. "Selfish" is a more optimistic song about focusing on one's self, as is the previously mentioned "Feel Good", which slowthai himself describes as a song to "get you back on track with living". The album's title track, outside of being interesting commentary on the ongoing Ukraine-Russian war, is emphatic of the album's main themes and ideas of going against the norm - remember that acronym? These thematic ideas meld beautifully together across the album, and makes for one of the most cohesive albums of the year.

    UGLY is anything but. Three albums in, and slowthai's artistic maturity is nakedly present on this release, as his genre-fusion and emotional bareness carry the album to the finish line with excellent momentum. It's not only an invigorating work musically, but hits all the emotional highs and lows that it needs to for it to be captivating and continuously relistenable. UGLY is an excellent work, and perhaps one that will only grow better with time.

RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

Listen to UGLY.