Expensive Pain

Expensive Pain
Studio album by Meek Mill
Released	October 1, 2021
Length	55:04
Label	Atlantic • Maybach Music
Producer	30 Roc Amore AT Austin Powerz Bkorn Boi-1da Brent Faiyaz Datboi Squeeze Dato Rick Ross Dougie DZL darko Vianey OJ Emkay Fuse808 Gebrelul JJ KJ L3gion Nick Papz Paperboy Fabe Sav Sevn Thomas Svdominik Tay Keith Vinylz Xander Yex
Meek Mill chronology
Quarantine Pack (2020) Expensive Pain (2021) Too Good to Be True (2023)
Singles from Expensive Pain
"Flamerz Flow" Released: June 3, 2021 "Sharing Locations" Released: August 27, 2021 "Blue Notes 2" Released: September 1, 2021

Expensive Pain is the fifth studio album by American rapper Meek Mill. It was released on October 1, 2021, through Atlantic Records And Maybach Music Group. The production on the album was handled by multiple producers including Boi-1da, Tay Keith, Vinylz, 30 Roc, Cardo and Sevn Thomas among others. The album also features guest appearances from Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Kehlani, ASAP Ferg, Moneybagg Yo, Giggs, Young Thug, Vory, Lil Uzi Vert, and Brent Faiyaz. ^[1]

Expensive Pain was supported by three singles: "Flamerz Flow", "Sharing Locations" and "Blue Notes 2". The album received generally mixed to positive reviews from music critics, and was a commercial success. It debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 95,000 album-equivalent units in its first week. ^[2]

Release and promotion

Meek announced the album, cover art, and release date on September 15, 2021. ^[3] He revealed the tracklist on September 30, the day before the album was released. ^[4] The album cover art was made by modern artist Nina Chanel Abney. ^[5]

Singles

Three singles preceded the album's release. "Flamerz Flow" is a bonus track, and it was released with a music video on May 31, 2021, to his YouTube channel, being officially released three days later. ^[6] "Sharing Locations" featuring Lil Baby and Lil Durk was released on August 27 with a video as the second single. ^[7] Then "Blue Notes 2" featuring Lil Uzi Vert was the third single, released with a video five days later and performed live on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on September 21. ^{[8] [9]}

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	64/100 [10]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[11]
Clash	6/10 [12]
NME	[13]
Pitchfork	6.8/10 [14]
Rolling Stone	[15]

Expensive Pain was met with generally mixed to positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 64, indicating “generally favorable reviews”, based on six reviews. ^[10]

A.D. Amorosi of Variety praised Meek's progression with this effort calling "Expensive Pain Mill’s best, most fully rounded recorded effort: an album that finally portrays all sides of the rapper’s rise, fall, struggles and revivals, to say nothing of his skills as a writer and as an aggressive flow-acist." He also praised Mill's braggadocios approach to many of the songs on the project, saying that "Mill comes out with hope and real brio on his side – a confidence that goes way beyond any mere humble-brag or boast." ^[16]

Commercial performance

Expensive Pain debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 95,000 album-equivalent units (including 10,000 copies in pure album sales) in its first week. ^[2] This became Meek Mill's seventh US top-ten debut on the chart. ^[2] The album also accumulated a total of 110.53 million on-demand streams from the songs on the project. ^[2] In its second week, the album dropped to number four on the chart, earning an additional 46,000 units. ^[17]

Track listing

Standard edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Intro (Hate on Me)"	Robert Williams Ronald LaTour, Jr. Daveon Jackson John Julian Anthony Moody Nasir Jones	2:55
2.	"Outside (100 MPH)"	R. Williams LaTour Trey Davis Dominik Patrzek	3:19
3.	"On My Soul"	R. Williams Anthony Cruz Eduardo Earle Adi Helic Billy Holmdahl John Lucas	2:22
4.	"Sharing Locations" (featuring Lil Baby and Lil Durk)	R. Williams Dominique Jones Durk Banks Nikolas Papamitrou Nii-noi Tetteh Dominik Svoroboric	2:41
5.	"Expensive Pain"	R. Williams Cruz Julius Herold Michael Holmes Vianey Mfuamba	3:34
6.	"Ride for You" (featuring Kehlani)	R. Williams Kehlani Parrish Austin Schindler Nija Charles Tracy Hale Joyce Irby Wirlie Morris Thabiso Nkhereanye Savas Oguz	3:02
7.	"Me (FMW)" (featuring ASAP Ferg)	R. Williams Darold Ferguson, Jr. Matthew Samuels Kameron Cole Jahaan Sweet Jonathan Smith Stephanie Martin Sammie Norris Todd Shaw	3:00
8.	"Hot" (featuring Moneybagg Yo)	R. Williams Demario White, Jr. N. Papamitrou Tetteh Alexander Monro	2:31
9.	"Love Train"	R. Williams Cruz Simon Gebrelul Aaron Tesfagiorgis	3:55
10.	"Northside Southside" (featuring Giggs)	R. Williams Nathaniel Thompson LaTour Mark Lapple	3:03
11.	"We Slide" (featuring Young Thug)	R. Williams Jeffery Williams Jamichael Benson Brytavious Chambers	3:31
12.	"Tweaking" (featuring Vory)	R. Williams Tavoris Hollins, Jr. Samuels Maneesh Bidaye Anderson Hernandez	3:17
13.	"Love Money"	R. Williams Cruz Earle Grant Hewlett David Weiner	3:02
14.	"Blue Notes 2" (featuring Lil Uzi Vert)	R. Williams Symere Woods N. Papamitrou Alexander Papamitrou	3:50
15.	"Angels (RIP Lil Snupe)"	R. Williams Douglas Whitehead	3:01
16.	"Cold Hearted III"	R. Williams Schindler Brandon Korn Hunter Powell	2:48
17.	"Halo" (featuring Brent Faiyaz)	R. Williams Christopher Wood Schindler Jason Avalos Fabbien Nahounou Rupert Thomas, Jr.	3:32
Total length:			53:23

Bonus track

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
18.	"Flamerz Flow"	R. Williams Samuel Gloade Adarius Moragne	1:41
Total length:			55:04

Sample credits

• "Intro (Hate on Me)" contains samples of "Hate Me Now", written by Nasir Jones, Sean Combs and Gavin Marchand, as performed by Nas, which itself samples Carmina Burana , composed by Carl Orff.
• "Sharing Locations" contains uncredited samples of the Bulgarian folk song "Чичовите конье".
• "Me (FWM)" contains samples from "Bia' Bia'", written by Jonathan Smith, Todd Shaw, Stephanie Martin and Sammie Norris, as performed by Lil Jon.
• "Blue Notes 2" is a sequel to "Blue Notes" from DC4 , and they both sample "Midnight Blues", performed by Snowy White.

Personnel

• Meek Mill – Vocals (all tracks)
• Popcaan – Vocals (1)
• Sadie Kraft – Vocals (2)
• Lil Baby – Vocals (4)
• Lil Durk – Vocals (4)
• Jena Goldsack – Vocals (5)
• Kehlani – Vocals (6)
• ASAP Ferg – Vocals (7)
• Moneybagg Yo – Vocals (8)
• Giggs – Vocals (10)
• Young Thug – Vocals (11)
• Vory – Vocals (12)
• Lil Uzi Vert – Vocals (14)
• Brent Faiyaz – Vocals (17)
• Cardo – Production (1, 2, 10)
• Nick Papz – Production (4, 8, 14)
• Xander – Production (4, 8, 14)
• Austin Powerz – Production (6, 16, 17)
• Fuse – Production (3, 13)
• KJ – Production (4, 8)
• Boi-1da – Production (7, 12)
• Yung Exclusive – Production (1)
• Johnny Juliano – Production (1)
• Deats – Production (2)
• Yugo Getit – Production (3)
• Gingr – Production (3)
• JW Lucas – Production (3)
• Svdominik – Production (4)
• DZL – Production (5)
• Sav – Production (6)
• Hollywood Cole – Production (7)
• Jahaan Sweet – Production (7)
• Eza – Production (8)
• AT – Production (9)
• Gebrelul – Production (9)
• Emkay – Production (10)
• Tay Keith – Production (11)
• Denaro Love – Production (11)
• Minor2Go – Production (11)
• Maneesh – Production (12)
• Vinylz – Production (12)
• Amore – Production (13)
• Dato – Production (13)
• Dougie on the Beat – Production (15)
• Bkorn – Production (16)
• Brent Faiyaz – Production (17)
• Sevn Thomas – Production (17)
• Paperboy Fabe – Production (17)
• L.3.G.I.O.N. – Production (17)
• 30 Roc – Production (18)
• Datboi Squeeze – Production (18)
• Vianey OJ – Co-production (5)
• Darko – Co-production (5)

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for Expensive Pain Chart (2021) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA) [18] 51 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [19] 44 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [20] 107 Canadian Albums (Billboard) [21] 5 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [22] 16 French Albums (SNEP) [23] 111 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [24] 35 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [25] 19 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [26] 33 UK Albums (OCC) [27] 23 UK R&B Albums (OCC) [28] 12 US Billboard 200 [29] 3 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [30] 2

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for Expensive Pain Chart (2021) Position US Billboard 200 [31] 190 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [32] 69

References

1. Blistein, Jon (September 15, 2021). "Meek Mill Announces New Album 'Expensive Pain' With Vice-Filled Album Art". Rolling Stone . Retrieved September 15, 2021.
2. Keith Caulfield (October 10, 2021). "Taylor Swift's 'Fearless (Taylor's Version)' Returns to No. 1 on Billboard 200". Billboard . Retrieved October 11, 2021.
3. Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (September 15, 2021). "Meek Mill Announces New Album Expensive Pain". Pitchfork . Retrieved September 15, 2021.
4. Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (September 30, 2021). "Meek Mill shares handwritten 'Expensive Pain' tracklist". Revolt . Retrieved September 30, 2021.
5. Blanchet, Brenton (September 28, 2021). "Meek Mill's 'Expensive Pain' Album Art Takes Over Landmarks, Major Cities Across U.S." Complex Networks . Retrieved August 31, 2022.
6. Su, Sammy (June 2, 2021). "Meek Mill Drops New "Flamerz Flow" Track and Music Video". Hypebeast. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
7. Richards, Will (August 27, 2021). "Meek Mill, Lil Baby, and Lil Durk team up on new song 'Sharing Locations'". NME . Retrieved September 15, 2021.
8. Gallagher, Alex (August 27, 2021). "Meek Mill recruits Lil Uzi Vert for new single 'Blue Notes 2'". NME . Retrieved September 15, 2021.
9. Zemler, Emily (September 21, 2021). "Watch Meek Mill, Lil Uzi Vert Perform 'Blue Notes 2' on 'Fallon'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved September 21, 2021.
10. "Expensive Pain by Meek Mill Metacritic Review". Metacritic . Retrieved October 4, 2021.
11. Kellman, Andy. "Meek Mill - Expensive Pain". AllMusic . Retrieved October 1, 2021.
12. Murray, Robin (October 1, 2021). "Meek Mill - Expensive Pain A mixed return laden with superstar turns..." Clash . Retrieved October 3, 2021.
13. Lavin, Will (October 4, 2021). "Meek Mill – 'Expensive Pain' review: a rushed and haphazard fifth album". NME . Retrieved October 4, 2021.
14. Green, Dylan (October 6, 2021). "Meek Mill – 'Expensive Pain' Pitchfork review". Pitchfork . Retrieved October 8, 2021.
15. Reeves, Mosi (October 4, 2021). "Meek Mill is Both Dazzling and Disappointing on 'Expensive Pain'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved October 4, 2021.
16. Amorosi, A.D. (October 1, 2021). "Meek Mill Finds a Sweet Spot Between the Serious and Superficial With 'Expensive Pain': Album Review". Variety . Retrieved October 4, 2021.
17. Keith Caulfield (October 17, 2021). "Drake's 'Certified Lover Boy' Bounces Back to No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard . Retrieved October 17, 2021.
18. "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 11 October 2021". The ARIA Report. No. 1649. Australian Recording Industry Association. October 11, 2021. p. 6.
19. "Ultratop.be – Meek Mill – Expensive Pain" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
20. "Ultratop.be – Meek Mill – Expensive Pain" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
21. "Meek Mill Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
22. "Dutchcharts.nl – Meek Mill – Expensive Pain" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
23. "Top Albums (Week 40, 2021)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
24. "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. October 11, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
25. "Album 2021 uke 40". VG-lista . Retrieved October 9, 2021.
26. "Swisscharts.com – Meek Mill – Expensive Pain". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
27. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
28. "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
29. "Meek Mill Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
30. "Meek Mill Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
31. "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
32. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2021.