By Finn Kennedy
Photo by Finn Kennedy
Autumn! has had a career spanning more than eight years. Is he still releasing good music?
In case you don’t know, Autumn! is a New Orleans underground rapper credited for contributing to the revival of pluggnb music. Pluggnb is a subgenre of rap, blending rap’s themes, hyperpop sounds, and trap beats. Born in Lafayette and currently living in Houston, Autumn! mentions Louisiana a lot in his music, both directly and indirectly. He is a music icon in the underground of rap and New Orleans Music. Earlier this year, he released his newest studio album B2MR (Back 2 My Roots).
“Replica!” – It took a few listens for me to enjoy the flow. 808s were a good addition. I was fairly indifferent on the sample. It also took a few listens for me to enjoy the chorus since I thought it was repetitive at first. It definitely laid out the theme of confidence for the album. 7/10
“Brainrot!” – When I first saw the tracklist I thought the name was corny, but as I listened to it, I really liked the beat which was, in my opinion, somewhat reminiscent of a rage beat. The chorus was good despite it being half the song, and the lyrics were better than usual for Autumn!. The outro felt unneeded despite its transition to the next track. 8/10
“Passenger Princess!” – The first verse paired with the melancholic instrumental reminded me something of Yeat, specifically something out of 2093. The lyrics were corny, but the chorus was fairly good, and I enjoyed the beat. To be honest, if the song started at its climax, I would have enjoyed it more. Felt like a feature was needed. 6.5/10
“Sunburn!” – Best beat on the album by far, 808s were at the perfect volume, and the beat reminded me of Drake’s For All The Dogs. I appreciate how Autumn! consistently mentions Louisiana in his music. 10/10
“Something New!”– I feel like the intro was unnecessary, but it didn’t take much away from the whole song. I really like the chorus, and this might be a reach, but the melody and flow kind of reminded me of something $uicideboy$ would do. Outro was funny, executed better than the one on Replica! 10/10
“Laws of Power! “– A bit repetitive, but still a good track. Every line is laid out rule #:___, and it serves as a code that he claims to live by. While some of the laws were actually kind of relatable or honest, the rest were unapologetically aggressive, which you have to applaud to an extent. The beat reminded me of a less bass-y NY drill beat. Nothing was bad about the song, just a bit underwhelming and forgettable. Outro fit well with the track’s energy. 5/10
“Upper Echelon!” – Great wordplay. The song’s only issue is that the chorus appears twice, which would be perfectly fine on any other track, except for the fact that there’s only one verse, which is shorter than the chorus. Would take off points for this if the chorus wasn’t already great. My favorite track on the album for sure. 10/10
“Louis V Everything!” – Once again he shows great wordplay. What stands out to me on this track is how he strays from his confidence and is more flashy. It has my favorite flow on the album and his tone reflects a bit of vulnerability in his voice. The background vocals are great too. 10/10
“One Way! 2″ – The intro and refrain were way too long on this song, and drove the focus onto the harpsichord-driven beat which I didn’t really care for. Despite this, the lyrics were sensual and vulnerable, which I like to see in rap as it gives a sentimental vibe to the track. The track had already been released as the lead single over two months in advance, and if it hadnt been I probably would have skipped it before the refrain even ended. 5/10
“Still The Same!” 3 – The longest track on the project with a runtime of 4:46, honestly it feels like 5 and I think this is partially due to the slow, sentimental rapping that Autumn! showcases on the track. The song title and lyrics all correlate back to the title of the album B2MR. Lyrics were vulnerable, flow reminded me something of newer Drake. The length didnt take away since the song was great. 9/10
“Both Ways!” – Autumn! Showed some of the most lyrical versatility that ive seen this album on this song. His verses are clever, witty, but still keep the confident motif running along the whole album. I did find the chorus repetitive though and I thought the beat shouldn’t have taken that long to show up. The production was great though, and I really liked the 808s and synths on the track. 9.7/10
“Did It Again!” – This song’s production and vocals reminded me more of the modern underground that we see from modern hyperpop artists today. The lyricsm were good on the track, but the track didn’t stand out to me. 6.1/10
“Count It Faster!” – The track opens with the ending of “Did It Again!”’s ending synth, just on a deeper sound. I liked the intro and really liked his flow on the track. Definitely top 3 on the album, but I wish it was longer. 10/10
“Free Promo!” – I liked the transition from “Count It Faster!” to “Free Promo!”, but I think his vocals were not the best. I really enjoyed the beat and I feel like it was well composed. Nothing to write home about. 5.9/10
“Stuck In A Loop!” – By far one of the best beats on the album, the lyrics had substance while also being catchy. The refrain was good and Autumn! showcased a good flow on the beat. Would have enjoyed it more if the song was a bit longer. 8.1/10
“When I Pray!” – Don’t know how to explain it, but I could definitely see Lil Tecca on this beat for sure. Lyrics were nothing special, but the track has a great beat and flow. Every Autumn! drop I’m surprised that he self-produces. He’s very talented and it shows. It’s a great song for sure. 10/10
Overall, I was very impressed by this album, definitely one of Autumn!’s best projects to date. I’d rank the album a 9.6/10. I tend to rank music fairly highly, but I really think this is one of his best projects so far. For an underground rapper to self-produce a 16-album track with no skips and multiple 10s is a great feat, and I think very soon we might see Autumn! get more national recognition. I’d recommend this album to anyone who’s a pluggnb listener or anyone who enjoys rap, hyperpop, or trap.
Do I think this album is a contender for AOTY (Album of the Year?) My short answer is yes, but I don’t think it’s the single best album this year, but definitely one of the best. Artists Playboi Carti, jasmine.4t, and Bad Bunny have released albums that are just as good as what we’ve seen from Autumn!.
