S Poddar
In a stunning turn of events, hip-hop icon Kendrick Lamar has just released a surprise album titled GNX. In its entirety, the 12-track project is his sixth studio album, announced via his various social media platforms at around 17:00 GMT on Friday, leaving fans and critics alike stunned.
A first full-length project since 2022’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, the album will feature notable contributions, including collaborations with R&B sensation SZA and jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington, among others. This release comes just ahead of his performance as a headliner for the Super Bowl halftime show in February.
Lamar’s latest album concludes a dynamic year for the artist, whose music has often been shaped by his competition and rivalry with Canadian rapper Drake. The two hip-hop heavyweights have been waging war in the public arena for years, but that earlier this year during which their artistic jabs quickly sharpened will be remembered for some time to come.
Rumors of a new Kendrick Lamar project had been circulating for months. Fans and industry insiders speculated on what was next for the Grammy and Pulitzer Prize-winning artist, who has continued to push the genre to new heights. Reactions early on have been pretty positive to the sound coming out of Kendrick, with social media continuing to praise his knack for reinvention and the ability to surprise.
A review from AP News called Lamar “an ambitious and searingly talented poet from Compton,” praising his ability to grapple both personal and societal contradictions on the largest stage. The outlet added that his latest work represents “another thrilling chapter in what remains the most fascinating longform story in hip-hop.
Meanwhile, Rating Game Music found the strength of the album to be more artistic in nature, referencing that the project is a creative endeavour for Lamar. “It reminds us why he’s one of the greats,” the site wrote. There’s still qualifying before a full endorsement: “My guess? The real project is on the horizon.
Despite the hype over GNX, many fans were disappointed to find that pop sensation Taylor Swift was not included on the album. Many had rumored that she was going to feature since she had collaborated with Kendrick earlier for Swift’s song “Bad Blood” in the 1989 album. SZA’s soulful voice, however, takes center stage in two songs: luther and gloria. The duo recently sat down to discuss their work and broader topics, including spirituality and mental health, in a joint interview with Harper’s Bazaar. Other tracks on the album include tv off, dodger blue, peekaboo, and the title track, gnx.
The opening song, wacced out murals, offers a direct nod to Lamar’s upcoming Super Bowl halftime gig. With its gigantic audience and cultural value, the show is arguably one of the most coveted opportunities for performers. The choice to feature Lamar as headliner is a subject of debate from Lil Wayne fans, some of whom considered him more worthy of the spot. Lamar admits this fact in the song with the line: “I think my hard work let Lil Wayne down”.
Won the Super Bowl and Nas the only one congratulate me.” The coming of this album is also amidst a lot of tension between Lamar and Drake.
Their rivalry has produced some great tracks in years, but this year the fight had really intensified as both released tracks that took direct shots at one another. Without a doubt, one of the most glaring results of this beef was Lamar’s Not Like Us, which broke several Spotify records in a single day with the most played hip-hop song. Produced by DJ Mustard, the hit topped the US charts and took the sixth spot in the UK, already standing as Lamar’s most commercially successful single to date. As listeners unpack all of the many layers of GNX, it’s undoubtedly apparent that Lamar is a force that can’t be stopped. Whether this marks the start of a new artistic chapter or serves instead as a bridge to something much larger, it’s up for debate, but one thing is certain: Kendrick Lamar continues to redefine the boundaries of modern hip-hop.
