The American rapper and singer-songwriter released her second full-length music project on March 15, resuming her unique witty touch in the music industry.
Philly-based rapper and singer-songwriter Tierra Whack blessed us with a significant number of singles since 2019 but finally dropped her album WORLD WIDE WHACK on March 15.
Whack’s previous full-length music release dates back to 2018 with a similar title called Whack World consisting of 15 songs, with each track being exactly one minute long, resulting in a witty and calculated 15-minute project. The artist’s initial breakthrough was through her 2017 track “MUMBO JUMBO,” which brought new occurrences to the term “mumble rap” and was Grammy-nominated for its music video.
With a runtime of 37 minutes, Whack presents 15 new tracks to the public with a variety of lengths per song, as opposed to her debut project which was more calculated in that regard. At first listen, each song can stand on its own but the album maintains a cohesive blend track after track. The sequencing of the songs provides a smooth and seamless listening experience from slower more pensive tracks to more energetic sounds, which is exactly how the transition from the very first song “MOOD SWINGS” to “MS BEHAVE” plays out.
One of the first facets of this new era of Whack that I discovered was the “CHANEL PIT” music video. Her sound can easily go from almost childish-sounding instruments and playful hi-hats to harsher more aggressive 808’s and kicks. “CHANEL PIT” perfectly embraces the contrast and sides of her production style while correspondingly emasculating all the directions this album’s production gravitates toward. Its music video is also pure Whack. We see her standing still while going through a car wash and being hit with red cleaning curtains that match her hair, delivering a striking and stimulating visual experience as usual.
One thing I love about Tierra Whack’s style is the straightforward approach to conveying her lyrics. Sometimes, it seems like Whack is blatantly talking to you but always sustaining a certain harmony in her tone while doing so. In “IMAGINARY FRIENDS” for instance, the artist freely shares “my last best friend said he wished he didn’t know me” and expands on her situation more as if you’re her confident, all over a lush sound with a prominent dreamy guitar.
I particularly appreciated the random piano chords and key endings at the end of “MOOVIES,” “DIFFICULT” and “INVITATION.” The piano doesn’t necessarily coincide with where the song seems to be heading but offers an odd yet interesting closing to the tracks. The bass in “SHOWER SONG” is also truly addictive and the definition of groovy, especially accompanied by the catchy chorus harmonies where she names popular female artists that she’s singing to in the shower.
Whack also confirms to herself and everyone else that she is a perpetually changing artist and constantly formulating her craft, stating “Every song I drop, I change the sound” on “INVITATION.”
WORLD WIDE WHACK is a reflection on how the artist feels at not only this stage of her career but also how she experiences her life as an artist and as a regular human citizen. On “SNAKE EYES,” Whack says that she “treat[s] the fans like homies” and “blood, tear, and sweat I work so hard” giving some insight into how she is navigating fame and her work ethic.
Whack spilled some of her personal consciousness through lyrics like “the glass full, but I’m empty” and “when the world seems like it’s against you when your friends and family forget you.” Whack isn’t apprehensive in delivering her psyche in a diary style over an almost calming and dreamy beat on the closing track “27 CLUB,” referring to the cultural phenomenon of celebrities—mostly musicians—who die at the age of 27 after some intriguing tragic event.
A hip-hop polymath, Whack’s refreshing and creative persona is still present, offering all listeners a memorable and playful tone, yet balancing it out with raw lyrics making WORLD WIDE WHACK an infectious project. Whether you’re into witty production and catchy melodies, or pondering some more with vulnerable storytelling, the passionate artist has something in store for you.
Score: 7.5/10
Trial Track: “SHOWER SONG”