Playing w/ Fire is the debut extended play by American rapper Redveil. The EP was self released on April 19 2023.[1] Playing w/ Fire was supported by two singles, "Giftbag" and "Black Enuff".
| Playing w/ Fire | ||||
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| EP by | ||||
| Released | April 19, 2023 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 15:44 | |||
| Producer | Redveil | |||
| Redveil chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Playing w/ Fire | ||||
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Playing w/ Fire was released to generally positive reviews, with critics praising Redveil's production, but disliking his new laid-back lyricism.
Background
editPlaying w/ Fire is a follow-up to Redveil’s sophomore album, Learn 2 Swim, which was released on April 20, 2022.[2] The first promotional single for the album, "Giftbag", was released on March 22, 2023.[3] The next day, Redveil hinted at a new project during an interview with Rolling Stone India.[4] A week later, Redveil announced the album’s second and final promotional single, "Black Enuff", which featured frequent collaborator JPEGMafia. "Black Enuff" was released on April 5, 2023.[5] On the same day, Redveil officially announced the project as an EP along with its release date.[5]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Pitchfork | 6.5/10[6] |
| HotNewHipHop | 3.1/5[7] |
Playing w/ Fire was met with generally favorable reviews from critics. Writing for Pitchfork, Serge Selenou described the EP as boisterous and noted that it projects greater confidence compared to his previous album, Learn 2 Swim. Selenou also praised Redveil's production, but criticized the lyrics of the EP, which he considered to be "juvenile taunts" that left much to be desired.[6] Louis Pavlakos of HipHopDX echoed similar concerns, feeling that Redveil traded in the depth of his previous work for his "newfound boastful energy". Pavlakos further criticized the Redveil's lyricism, saying they were "weightless and overzealous in his quest to be as carefree as possible." However, he noted that the track "Black Enuff" was a standout and had "a true statement".[7]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Marcus Morton; "Black Enuff" co-written by Barrington Hendricks. All tracks are produced by Redveil.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Stuck" | 1:36 |
| 2. | "Giftbag" | 2:49 |
| 3. | "Black Enuff" (featuring JPEGMafia) | 2:35 |
| 4. | "F2G" (featuring Mekdelawit) | 2:37 |
| 5. | "Captain" | 3:22 |
| 6. | "PWF" | 2:45 |
| Total length: | 15:44 | |
References
edit- ^ Breihan, Tom (April 19, 2023). "redveil Releases Energized New EP 'playing w/ fire': Stream". Stereogum. Archived from the original on April 20, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
- ^ Renshaw, David (April 19, 2023). "Listen to redveil's playing w/ fire EP". The Fader. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
- ^ Cole, Alexander (April 19, 2023). "redveil Drops 6-Track EP "playing w/ fire" Featuring JPEGMAFIA & Mekdelawit". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
- ^ Tagat, Anurag (March 23, 2023). "Redveil on His India Debut, New Song 'Giftbag' and Upcoming Projects". Rolling Stone India. Archived from the original on May 10, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
- ^ a b Galindo, Thomas (April 5, 2023). "Redveil Announces New EP, Releases Promotional Single with JPEGMAFIA". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
- ^ a b Selenou, Serge (April 24, 2023). "Redveil: Playing w/ Fire EP Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
- ^ a b Pavlakos, Louis (May 11, 2023). "Redveil Runs Into Growing Pains Trying A More Carefree Sound On 'playing w/ fire'". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on June 14, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2023.