The Fool is the fifth solo studio album by the Swedish rapper Bladee. A surprise album, it was released on 28 May 2021 through Year0001. The album was produced by Lusi with contributions from the Clibbo, Loesoe, Outtatown, Rip, and Rok. The Fool is a pop rap album that scales back and softens the sounds used in Bladee's previous album, Good Luck (2020) with Mechatok. Lyrically, the album explores themes of love, illusions, and existentialism using Auto-Tuned vocals. Its title is a reference to the tarot card of the same name and extends as a metaphor into the album itself. Frequent collaborator Thaiboy Digital is featured on the track "Inspiration Comes". The Fool was considered one of the best albums of the year by The Fader and Dazed and further received acclaim by Pitchfork and laut.de.
| The Fool | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 28 May 2021 | |||
| Genre | Pop rap | |||
| Length | 32:24 | |||
| Label | Year0001 | |||
| Producer |
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| Bladee chronology | ||||
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Background and release
editAfter Bladee released two solo cloud rap albums in Exeter and 333 during 2020,[1] he and the musician Mechatok released the collaborative album Good Luck later in 2020.[2] Good Luck featured a sound that delved more into electronic dance music.[3][4] The Fool was released as a surprise album on 28 May 2021 via Year0001.[5] The album's title is a reference to the tarot card of the same name and extends as a metaphor into the album itself.[3] Further leaning into the playing cards narrative, Pitchfork's Nadine Smith proposed that "the record is like a full hand, each card representing a different side of Bladee or character he embodies".[3]
Composition
editOverview
editThe Fool was classified as pop rap by Malin Hacker of laut.de.[6] Other publications considered it a mix between electronic dance music, dance-pop, synth-pop,[3] and trap.[4] The Fool scales back and softens the sound of Good Luck and incorporates trap drums into its songs.[3][4] Nicolaus Li of Hypebeast described the album's instrumentals as "frenetic", and that they're "dominated by tittering hi-hats and bouncing bass hits." He also pointed out that the album had an increased pace when compared to Exeter and 333.[7] Some publications compared the sound of The Fool to Bladee's 2018 mixtape Icedancer.[6][8]
The album presents layered[3] Auto-Tuned[5] vocals with lyrics that explore themes of love,[5][7] illusions, and existentialism,[5] and plays with spiritual references.[6] Günseli Yalcinkaya of Dazed wrote that the album "trades in the transcendental maximalism of [his] previous releases for a more pared back approach", calling the sound "unmistakably Bladee" and the lyrics "introspective".[5] For Pitchfork, Smith wrote that Bladee "meld[s] the lyrical tropes and trap drums of American rap, the emotions and ethereality of European dance music, and the experimentation of pop’s new international vanguard."[3] Salvatore Maicki of The Fader wrote that during the album, Bladee's fears, infatuations, trials and tribulations hide in plain sight. He also described the album's sound as "quintessential Bladee in every regard".[4] The Fool also marked a shift in Bladee's lyrical subject matter. Massimo Tarridas of The Miscellany News wrote that it changed from "mall-obsessed conspicuous consumption" to "confessing sin and searching for places beyond lust and temptations of love."[8]
Songs
editThe Fool contains 13 tracks.[7][5] Its opening track is "The Fool Intro"; its opening synth lead drew comparisons to "Futsal Shuffle 2020" (2019) by Lil Uzi Vert. On the track, Bladee's voice switches between a "whispered scream" and a rapped falsetto.[8] "Let's Ride" contains Rich Homie Quan references as Bladee represents a character of "the reluctantly boastful MC riding a BMX bike".[3] The instrumental of "Hotel Breakfast" drew comparisons to the music in an Animal Crossing game due to its "camera shutter sound effects and dinky keyboards." Tarridas called Bladee's flow on the track "mumbled", "awkward", and "charming".[8] The following "I Think..." is a melodic[4] ballad[6] that contemplates the duality of life.[5] The synth lines during "Thee 9 Is Up" and the penultimate "Search True" were described as "kaleidoscopic" and "trance-like" by Smith. Smith described Bladee's character on "Desiree" as "the sensitive crooner and lover".[3] "I Want It That Way" and "Egobaby" are other tracks that contain falsettos, which were described by critics as "angelic".[6][8] "Bby" also drew comparisons to "Futsal Shuffle 2020" due to its repeated samples of electronic dance music.[6] Thaiboy Digital is featured on "Inspiration Comes", a track in which the production was described as "major" by Li.[7] The following "Trendy" is a track about understanding your self-worth that is backed by oscillated auto-tuned harmonies over hi-hats and synthesizers.[8] Smith described Bladee's character during the track as "the admitted Joker of the deck."[3] The final track is "Wett (Water2)".[5]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| laut.de |   [6] |
| Pitchfork | 7.7/10[3] |
| The Needle Drop | 6/10[9][a] |
Smith wrote that The Fool "features some of his most ear-catching and melodic work yet" in a positive review for Pitchfork.[3] Reviewing for laut.de, Hacker gave it a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.[6] For The Fader, Maicki wrote that the album contains "some of his strongest melodies to date".[4] Writing for The Miscellany News, Tarridas complimented the album's pacing and wrote that "It’s clear there was a lot of care put into the structure of each track".[8] Anthony Fantano criticized Bladee's vocals[11] and called the album Bladee's safest release,[12] but praised his songwriting.[13]
The Fool was named the 11th best album of the year by The Fader.[4] Dazed considered it the 14th best album of the year.[5]
Track listing
editAll lyrics are written by Benjamin Reichwald, except "Inspiration Comes", by Reichwald and Thanapat Bunleang.
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Fool Intro" | Lusi | 1:59 |
| 2. | "Let's Ride" | Lusi | 2:25 |
| 3. | "Hotel Breakfast" |
| 2:14 |
| 4. | "I Think..." |
| 3:11 |
| 5. | "Thee 9 Is Up" | Lusi | 3:04 |
| 6. | "Desiree" | Lusi | 2:26 |
| 7. | "I Want It That Way" | Lusi | 2:02 |
| 8. | "Bby" |
| 2:00 |
| 9. | "Inspiration Comes" (featuring Thaiboy Digital) | Lusi | 2:56 |
| 10. | "Egobaby" | Lusi | 2:18 |
| 11. | "Trendy" |
| 2:43 |
| 12. | "Search True" |
| 2:36 |
| 13. | "Wett (Water2)" | Lusi | 2:25 |
| Total length: | 32:24 | ||
Notes
- Tracks 6 and 10 are stylized in lower case.
- Track 8 is stylized in all caps.
Personnel
editCredits adapted from the Year0001 website.[14]
- Gabriel Schuman – mixing
- Joe LaPorta – mastering
- Cestainsi – art director
- Benjamin Reichwald – art
- Joel Dunkels – additional animation
- Zak Arogundade – photography
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | May 28, 2021 | [15] |
References
edit- ^ Jordan, Darville (16 July 2020). "Bladee shares new album 333". The Fader. Archived from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ Li, Nicolaus (10 December 2020). "bladee and Mechatok Deliver Arresting Dancepop With 'Good Luck'". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on 11 December 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Smith, Nadine (3 June 2021). "Bladee: The Fool Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g "The 50 best albums of 2021". The Fader. 14 December 2021. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "The best albums of 2021". Dazed. 17 December 2021. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Hacker, Malin (28 May 2021). "Der Drain Gang-Kronprinz legt ein TikTok-Tarot" [The Drain Gang crown prince lays down a TikTok tarot]. laut.de (in German). Archived from the original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d Li, Nicolaus (28 May 2021). "Bladee Delivers Surprise Album, 'The Fool'". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on 28 May 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g Tarridas, Massimo (8 September 2021). "Bladee's "The Fool" encapsulates fun, complex worldbuilding". The Miscellany News. Archived from the original on 14 September 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ Fantano, Anthony (12 June 2021a). Bladee - The Fool ALBUM REVIEW. The Needle Drop. Archived from the original on 25 November 2024. Retrieved 25 November 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ Fantano 2021a, 5:48.
- ^ Fantano 2021a, 4:09.
- ^ Fantano 2021a, 5:13.
- ^ Fantano 2021a, 5:29.
- ^ "Bladee - The Fool". Year0001. 28 May 2021. Archived from the original on 18 June 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
- ^ "The Fool - Album by Bladee". Apple Music (US). Archived from the original on 3 June 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2024.