Common Sense is the debut studio album by British rapper J Hus. It was released on 12 May 2017 by Black Butter Records, distributed by Sony Music, for digital download and CD purchase.[5] The album features production from long-time collaborator Jae5,[6] along with guest appearances from MoStack, Mist, Tiggs da Author and Burna Boy.
Common Sense | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 12 May 2017 | |||
Recorded | 2014–2016 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 55:49 | |||
Label | Black Butter | |||
Producer |
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J Hus chronology | ||||
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Singles from Common Sense | ||||
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Common Sense debuted at number six on the UK Albums Chart and received widespread acclaim from critics. It is certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). The lead single, "Did You See", peaked at number nine on the UK Singles Chart, becoming J Hus' highest-charting single. Complex ranked it number one on the UK's Best Albums of 2017.
Background
editThroughout 2015 and 2016, J Hus released a variety of singles, including "Lean & Bop", "Friendly" and "Playing Sports", along with the debut mixtape The 15th Day (2015), subsequently building a strong online presence.
In early April 2017, J Hus announced the track listing and release date for his debut album, Common Sense.[7][8][9]
Singles
editThe promotional single "Friendly" was released for digital download on 1 January 2016 after initially being premiered on SoundCloud.[10]
The lead single "Did You See" was released on 2 March 2017, along with its music video. The song peaked at number 9 so far on the UK Singles Chart, becoming J Hus' first chart entry and highest-charting song.
Critical reception
editAggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.5/10[11] |
Metacritic | 84/100[12] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [13] |
Clash | 9/10[14] |
Evening Standard | [15] |
Financial Times | [4] |
The Guardian | [3] |
The Irish Times | [16] |
Mixmag | 9/10[17] |
NME | [18] |
The Observer | [19] |
Pitchfork | 7.8/10[20] |
Upon release, Common Sense received widespread acclaim from critics. Kate Hutchinson of The Guardian praised Hus' blend of musical genres: "J Hus leads a wave of MCs who blend the genre's hard-hitting, distinctly UK flow with bashment and Afrobeat. Hus show that mix's true breadth, from playful braggadocio about partying, chasing girls and being, as one song title has it, the "Bouf Daddy", to introspective moments such as Spirit, on which loopy synths and polyrhythmic brilliance meet Hus's weary-sounding motivational speaker. The sound of the summer? You know it makes sense."[3]
Will Pritchard of Clash stated: "This sound now has an album to pin to the mast. It'll soundtrack this summer, but don't be fooled into thinking that its time will be up by September. It's just common sense."[14] Ludovic Hunter-Tilney of Financial Times commented: "The music is a rich blend of styles, in which hip-hop, R&B, dancehall and Afrobeats suggest not only Hus's versatility but also a world of expanding horizons."[4]
Paul A. Thompson of Pitchfork commented: "The shifting musical styles underscore Hus' own versatility; he flits from a lilting sing-song to something more gruff and guttural easily and without hesitation", concluding Common Sense is "an excellent debut from an artist on the cusp."[20]
Accolades
editCommon Sense was acknowledged in numerous year-end lists in 2017, particularly by international publishers.
Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Crack Magazine | The Top 100 Albums of 2017 | 17
|
|
Complex | Complex UK's Best Albums of 2017 | 1
|
|
Fact | The 50 Best Albums of 2017 | 7
|
|
NME | NME's Albums of the Year 2017 | 6
|
|
Pigeons and Planes | Best Albums of 2017 | 16
|
|
The Guardian | The Best Albums of 2017 | 14
|
Commercial performance
editCommon Sense debuted at number six on the UK Albums Chart and also entered the Dutch Album Top 100 and the Scottish Albums Chart. It is certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
Track listing
editNo. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Common Sense" |
|
| 3:44 |
2. | "Bouff Daddy" |
| Jae5 | 3:25 |
3. | "Clartin" |
| Jae5 | 3:14 |
4. | "Leave Me" |
|
| 3:23 |
5. | "Closed Doors" |
| Jae5 | 3:49 |
6. | "Did You See" |
| Jae5 | 3:01 |
7. | "Like Your Style" |
| Jae5 | 2:56 |
8. | "Plottin" |
| Jae5 | 2:31 |
9. | "Sweet Cheeks" |
|
| 3:01 |
10. | "Fisherman" (featuring MoStack and MIST) |
|
| 2:57 |
11. | "Good Time" (featuring Burna Boy) |
| Jae5 | 3:05 |
12. | "Spirit" |
|
| 3:34 |
13. | "Mash Up" (featuring MoStack) |
| Jae5 | 3:38 |
14. | "Goodies" |
| Jae5 | 2:52 |
15. | "Good Luck Chale" (featuring Tiggs Da Author) |
|
| 3:12 |
16. | "Who You Are" |
| Jae5 | 3:32 |
17. | "Friendly" |
| Jae5 | 3:55 |
Total length: | 55:49 |
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
|
Certifications
editRegion | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[32] | Platinum | 300,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
editRegion | Date | Format | Label |
---|---|---|---|
Various | 12 May 2017 | Black Butter |
References
edit- ^ Dhruva Balram (24 January 2020). "J Hus – Big Conspiracy review: soulful British rapper barely puts a foot wrong on introspective second album". NME. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
- ^ "It Seems Like The J Hus Album Has Leaked". Clash. 20 January 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
- ^ a b c Hutchinson, Kate (11 May 2017). "J Hus: Common Sense review – unashamed grooves from east London rapper". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
- ^ a b c Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic (12 May 2017). "J Hus: Common Sense — 'going straight'". Financial Times. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
- ^ "iTunes – Common Sense by J Hus". iTunes. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
- ^ "Meet Jae5, The East London Genre Blender Behind J Hus's Out Of This World Afrobeats Sound". The Fader. 26 April 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
- ^ "J Hus Announced Details Of His Debut Album, Common Sense". The Fader. 3 April 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
- ^ "No One Is Like J Hus". Noisey. 12 May 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
- ^ "J Hus announces debut album Common Sense". FACT Magazine. 4 April 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
- ^ "Hold the Phone! J Hus Just Dropped a Surprise New Track Called "Friendly"". Noisey. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
- ^ "Common Sense by J Hus reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
- ^ "Reviews and Tracks for Common Sense by J Hus". Metacritic. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
- ^ Simpson, Paul. "Common Sense – J Hus". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ a b Pritchard, Will (11 May 2017). "J Hus – Common Sense". Clash. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
- ^ Smyth, David (12 May 2017). "J Hus – Common Sense review: 'Remarkably broadminded debut album'". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 12 May 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
- ^ Carroll, Jim (25 May 2017). "J Hus makes his mark with skill and confidence". The Irish Times. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ Wheeler, Seb (30 June 2017). "J Hus 'Common Sense' (Black Butter)". Mixmag. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ Madden, Joe (15 May 2017). "J Hus – 'Common Sense' Review". NME. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
- ^ Joshi, Tara (14 May 2017). "J Hus: Common Sense review – a rich, zeitgeisty debut". The Observer. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ a b Thompson, Paul A. (19 May 2017). "J Hus: Common Sense". Pitchfork. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2017". Crack Magazine. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- ^ "Complex UK's Best Albums of 2017". Complex. 21 December 2017. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2017". Fact. 21 December 2017. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- ^ "NME's Albums of The Year 2017". NME. 20 December 2017. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- ^ "Best Albums of 2017". Pigeons and Planes. 21 December 2017. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- ^ "The best albums of 2017: the full list". The Guardian. 5 December 2017. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – J Hus – Common Sense" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
- ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2017". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
- ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2018". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
- ^ "British album certifications – J Hus – Common Sense". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 9 May 2020.