Voir Dire (/ˈvwɑːr dɪər/; Latinate Old French for "speak the truth") is a collaborative album by American rapper Earl Sweatshirt and record producer the Alchemist. It was released via Gala Music on August 25, 2023;[1] a further release on streaming platforms followed on October 6.
| Voir Dire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Original cover. Streaming release slightly saturates the image; a curtain also appears in the background | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 25, 2023 | |||
| Recorded | Late 2020–2021 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length |
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| Label |
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| Producer | The Alchemist | |||
| Earl Sweatshirt chronology | ||||
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| The Alchemist chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Voir Dire | ||||
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Background
editOn May 22, 2021, The Alchemist published a tweet saying "[Earl and I] hid a whole album on YouTube under a fake name and YouTube page. Fake album cover, song titles, the whole 9. Nobody found it yet."[2]
In August 2023, fans discovered a link on Earl's website that leads to a page on Gala Music's website which updates everyday with a new puzzle that, when solved, reveals a new hint about the album. The first puzzle asked "When did Al[chemist] start snitching?"[3] and allowed users to select a specific date. Upon entering the date the aforementioned tweet was published (05/22/2021), the first clue, consisting of another Alchemist tweet, was revealed. This tweet read "Speak the Truth", the English translation of the phrase "Voir Dire".
On August 22, the Alchemist posted a picture containing the album's track list to Instagram. The feature listing next to the track "Sentry" was blurred on the post.[4] On August 24, it was revealed that this feature is New York-based rapper Mike after a music video for "Sentry" was released on the Gala Music website.[5]
A flyer for a listening party, to take place in London on August 25, was posted to The Alchemist's Instagram on August 23.[6]
On August 25, Voir Dire was released for free on the Gala Music website along with 11 NFTs, one for each of the tracks.[1]
On September 15, it was announced that Voir Dire would be released on streaming platforms on October 6, featuring a slightly altered tracklist which includes two songs with fellow collaborator Vince Staples.[7]
Tour
edit| Tour by Earl Sweatshirt & The Alchemist | |
| Associated album | Voir Dire |
|---|---|
| Start date | November 6, 2023 |
| End date | November 27, 2023 |
| Legs | 1 |
| No. of shows | 11 |
| Supporting act(s) | |
| Earl Sweatshirt & The Alchemist concert chronology | |
In September 2023, the Voir Dire Tour was announced in support of the album. Black Noi$e and MIKE are set to join the tour alongside Earl Sweatshirt and the Alchemist.[8]
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 83/100[9] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [10] |
| Beats Per Minute | 86/100%[11] |
| Clash | 8/10[12] |
| HipHopDX | 3.8/5[13] |
| musicOMH |  [14] |
| Pitchfork | 7.8/10[15] |
| RapReviews | 7/10[16] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 8/10[17] |
Voir Dire was met with critical acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 83, based on nine reviews.[9]
John Wohlmacher of Beats Per Minute wrote: "The dire gloom of the early years is gone, and the garbled mutations of Some Rap Songs and Feet of Clay have grown in clarity without losing any of their labyrinthine and gothic dynamics. Without calling a masterpiece just yet: this is a very special moment, both for Thebe and his fans. I leave the rest to Two-Face and the flip of his coin".[11] Robin Murray of Clash stated: "together, this project might rank as a career high, a work of breathless yet intoxicatingly accessible complexity".[12] Noah Barker of The Line of Best Fit wrote: "if anything, Voir Dire is a record that pulls itself apart as it continues, subtly dredging the listener in philosophical bile and pause-the-track one-liners".[17] Dean van Nguyen of Pitchfork found it "a little disappointing that Alchemist doesn't push Earl even further out of his comfort zone" but found their "chemistry [...] comes from how naturally their styles blend together, as if Voir Dire is some kind of prophecy being fulfilled by the universe. It's a record that was meant to be: simple, elegant, and always true".[15] Ben Devlin of musicOMH wrote: "By the time Free The Ruler's soulful loop fades out, we've only concluded in the loosest sense. The listener enters Earl's world in medias res and 25 minutes later he's still maintaining, still working everything out, but the journey's been nuanced and engaging".[14]
In the review for AllMusic, Fred Thomas concluded that, "Voir Dire pushes the bounds of both Alchemist's old school warmth and Earl's heady verses, landing someplace new that neither would have gotten to on their own."[10]
Track listing
editAll songs are produced by The Alchemist.
All lyrics are written by Thebe Kgositsile, except for "Sentry", by Kgositsile and Michael Bonema and "Mancala" and "The Caliphate", by Vincent Staples; all music is composed by Alan Daniel Maman.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "100 High Street" | 1:34 |
| 2. | "Vin Skully" | 1:53 |
| 3. | "Sentry" (featuring MIKE) | 2:21 |
| 4. | "All the Small Things" | 1:59 |
| 5. | "My Brother, the Wind" | 2:09 |
| 6. | "27 Braids" | 2:04 |
| 7. | "Mac Deuce" | 2:08 |
| 8. | "Sirius Blac" | 2:19 |
| 9. | "Geb" | 2:47 |
| 10. | "Dead Zone" | 3:41 |
| 11. | "Free the Ruler" | 2:26 |
| Total length: | 25:21 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "100 High Street" | 1:34 |
| 2. | "Vin Skully" | 1:53 |
| 3. | "Sentry" (featuring MIKE) | 2:16 |
| 4. | "Heat Check" | 2:29 |
| 5. | "Mancala" (featuring Vince Staples) | 2:41 |
| 6. | "27 Braids" | 2:05 |
| 7. | "Mac Deuce" | 2:08 |
| 8. | "Sirius Blac" | 2:08 |
| 9. | "Dead Zone" | 3:07 |
| 10. | "The Caliphate" (featuring Vince Staples) | 3:50 |
| 11. | "Free the Ruler" | 2:26 |
| Total length: | 26:37 | |
Charts
edit| Chart (2023–2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[18] | 143 |
| Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ)[19] | 5 |
| UK Album Downloads (OCC)[20] | 63 |
| UK R&B Albums (OCC)[21] | 11 |
References
edit- ^ a b "Earl Sweatshirt and The Alchemist Drop 'Voir Dire' as an NFT". Hypebeast. August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
- ^ Triscari, Caleb (May 26, 2021). "Alchemist teases secret album hidden on YouTube". NME. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ "Earl Sweatshirt and The Alchemist announce surprise show ahead of joint album". Yahoo! Entertainment. August 23, 2023. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ "Check Out the Tracklist to Earl Sweatshirt & The Alchemist LP Voir Dire". Okayplayer. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ "Earl Sweatshirt Drops "Sentry" With Mike Off the Alchemist Collab Album: Watch". www.hotnewhiphop.com. August 24, 2023. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ Bustard, Andy (August 23, 2023). "Earl Sweatshirt & The Alchemist Tease New Album Voir Dire With London Show". HipHopDX. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ "Earl Sweatshirt and Vince Staples Share New Video for "The Caliphate"". Pitchfork. September 15, 2023. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
- ^ Singh, Karan (September 13, 2023). "Earl Sweatshirt & The Alchemist Team Up With MIKE For 'Voir Dire' Tour". HipHopDX. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
- ^ a b "Critic Reviews for Voir Dire - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
- ^ a b Thomas, Fred (August 25, 2023). "The Alchemist, Earl Sweatshirt -'Voir Dire' Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
- ^ a b Wohlmacher, John (August 28, 2023). "Album Review: Earl Sweatshirt & The Alchemist – Voir Dire". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
- ^ a b Murray, Robin (August 25, 2023). "Earl Sweatshirt, The Alchemist – Voir Dire | Reviews". CLASH. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
- ^ Malone, Anthony (August 31, 2023). "Earl Sweatshirt & The Alchemist Play It Safe With 'Voir Dire'". HipHopDX. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
- ^ a b Devlin, Ben (August 31, 2023). "Earl Sweatshirt & The Alchemist - Voir Dire | Album Reviews". musicOMH. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
- ^ a b van Nguyen, Dean (August 29, 2023). "Earl Sweatshirt / The Alchemist: Voir Dire Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
- ^ Shackleford, Sy (October 10, 2023). "Earl Sweatshirt x The Alchemist :: Voir Dire". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- ^ a b Barker, Noah (August 28, 2023). "Earl Sweatshirt & The Alchemist: Void Dire Review - hypnotic contorting collaboration | Rap". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Earl Sweatshirt & Alchemist – Voir Dire" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
- ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista (fizikai hanghordozók) – 2024. 8. hét". MAHASZ. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
- ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 24, 2024.