Commercially, Don’t Be Dumb topped the Billboard 200, becoming Rocky's first number-one debut in over a decade. It received generally positive critical reception. The album's cover art and promotional music video rollout was designed by American filmmaker Tim Burton.[3]
Background and promotion
On July 20, 2023, Rocky released the single "Riot (Rowdy Pipe'n)".[4][5] On June 21, 2024, during Paris Fashion Week, Rocky previewed a song from the album, and announced its release for August 30 of that year.[6] On August 2, 2024, Rocky revealed to Zane Lowe during an interview and conversation on Apple Music 1, amongst other topics, about an upcoming song titled "Hood Happy" featuring Fatman Scoop, Flavor Flav, Slick Rick, Morrissey and Busta Rhymes.[7] On August 22, 2024, during an interview for a Billboard cover story, Rocky announced that the album had been delayed from August 30 to sometime during fall of 2024.[8] He stated in a social media post that sample clearances and leaks had caused the delay.[9] During 2024, Rocky would release the singles "Highjack", "Tailor Swif", and "Ruby Rosary" as intended singles for the album.[10][11][12]
On March 2, 2025, Rocky announced that Don't Be Dumb was being mixed and mastered. As Rocky stated about the album:[13]
People are tired of hearing about updates about the album. They're just ready to get this shit, you know what I'm saying? I don't think anybody wants to hear where I'm at with it, how far is it along and all that. They just want to hear some shit just to see where I'm at, and I promise I got some new shit in store. I'm challenging myself. It's like anything, I approach it with a different tactic, degree, or finesse.
On July 4, 2025, Rocky released another single intended for the album, "Pray4DaGang" featuring KayCyy.[14] The music video was removed from streaming platforms after around two days.[15] Rocky previewed songs from the album in a October 2025 advertisement for his collaboration with clothing brand Puma.[16] On December 16, 2025, Rocky revealed the album's cover art, designed by American filmmaker Tim Burton, and release date of January 16, 2026.[17] He partnered with financial company Bilt to release a limited vinyl of the album.[18] On January 2, 2026, Rocky previewed a teaser of the music video from the album's first single, titled "Punk Rocky". Directed by Rocky himself along with Folkert Verdoorn and Simon Becks, it stars American actress Winona Ryder, and was released on January 5.[19] The album's second single, titled "Helicopter", was released on January 12, along with a music video directed by Dan Streit.[20][21]
Shortly after the release of the album, through his YouTube account Rocky uploaded immersive 360 video projection visualizers to each track of the album, he appears in different characterizations performing, while viewers can interact and explore multiple viewpoints and elements from the visualizers.[22] Rocky performed "Punk Rocky" and a medley of "Don't Be Dumb/Trip Baby" and "Helicopter", alongside Danny Elfman and Thundercat playing drums and bass, respectively, during Rocky's first performance and appeared in the background during his second, on Saturday Night Live as the musical guest of the show on January 17.[23][24][25] The next day he live performed for Amazon Music's new series Songline, during Yams Day on January 18, the performance featured live orchestration from Danny Elfman and guest appearances by members of ASAP Mob, it aired live across Amazon Music, Prime Video and Twitch.[26][27][28] On January 19, a music video for both "Whiskey" and "Air Force" was released, starring Tim Burton, who designed and illustrated the album cover.[29][30] On January 19, Rocky appeared as a guest on the The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and promoted the album.[31] On January 21, he added "Flackito Jodye", featuring Tokischa, to the digital release of the album, and released a music video for the song.[32][33]
Rocky is scheduled to embark on the Don't Be Dumb Tour in support of the album. With legs in North America and Europe, the tour begins in Chicago on May 27, 2026 and concludes in Paris on September 30, 2026.[34]
On January 22, Rocky announced an upcoming reissue (deluxe version) of the album.[35] The next day he appeared and was interviewed at The Joe Budden Podcast, where he confirmed it, hinting at production from Metro Boomin and Mike Will Made It, as well as a possible feature from his partner Rihanna.[36]
Don't Be Dumb received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 69, based on 11 reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[38] The review aggregator site AnyDecentMusic? compiled 11 reviews and gave the album an average of 6.8 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[37]
Robin Murray of Clash gave a score of 8 out of 10 for the album and wrote, "Eight years away from the booth hasn’t blunted A$AP Rocky’s pen, while his star quality is undeniable. With rap sliding away from the Billboard charts, it’s crucial, headline-making releases like this that keep the sound prominent, while still sneaking in underground ideas – once more, A$AP Rocky is one of the best out there."[40]The Guardian's Shaad D'Souza wrote that Don't Be Dumb is Rocky's "strongest album since his debut", while further stating that "fans dumbfounded by Testing can breathe easy".[43]Variety's Peter A. Berry gave a positive review and wrote, "What we get is a 2026 version of Rocky who raps as sharply as ever while flaunting the curatorial abilities that helped make him a star in the first place. If Don't Be Dumb is another test, then this time, Rocky certainly passed it."[49]
Commercial performance
In the United States, Don't Be Dumb debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 123,000 equivalent album units earned in its first week, marking Rocky's third career chart-topper and his first No. 1 in over a decade.[50] The set's streaming-equivalent units comprised a significant portion of its sales, driven by a strong performance across major platforms, including a record 35.4 million first-day streams on Spotify, the largest album streaming debut of 2026 to that point.[51]
↑Coleman, David (January 22, 2026). "A$AP Rocky – Don't Be Dumb". No Ripcord. Archived from the original on January 24, 2026. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
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