Skins | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | December 7, 2018 | |||
Recorded | 2018 | |||
Studio | XXX Studios [1] | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 19:44 | |||
Label |
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Producer |
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XXXTentacion chronology | ||||
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Singles from Skins | ||||
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Skins (stylized as SKINS) is the third studio album by American rapper XXXTentacion. It was released on December 7, 2018 through Bad Vibes Forever and Empire Distribution. [5] It is one of the projects, that XXXTentacion worked on before his death, and was released posthumously. The album features guest appearances from Travis Barker of Blink-182 and Kanye West. The album's theme sees XXXTentacion discuss heartbreak and mental turmoil. Genres on the album draw influence from lo-fi, nu metal, screamo, emo, punk rock, ambient, trap and acoustic. Skins was leaked to the internet three days before its official release date. [6]
The album's lead and only single, "Bad!", reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100. Although the album received mixed reviews from critics, with criticism aimed at the album's short length and "unfinished" nature, [7] it was a commercial success, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200, [8] making it XXXTentacion's second US number-one album. [8] It sold 132,000 album-equivalent units in its first week in the US, of which 52,000 were pure album sales, and has since been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of 500,000 units in the US.
After the release of the EP A Ghetto Christmas Carol in December 2017, XXXTentacion announced he was preparing three new albums [9] and eventually announced the titles of the albums as Bad Vibes Forever , Skins, and ? . [10] XXXTentacion's second studio album ? was released in March 2018. XXXTentacion was murdered in June 2018 before the albums Bad Vibes Forever and Skins could be released.
It was posted temporarily on XXXTentacion's Instagram after his death that the album would be "super short. It's literally gonna be a minute", [5] but several publications reported that the album may appear in unfinished form. [11] Some of the details about the album were shown when an iTunes Store link became active for a period of time on November 7 before being taken down; the page showed that the album had 10 tracks and was a total of 17 minutes long. [11] The page was later reinstated. [12] The only track title shown is that of "Bad!" [5] DJ Scheme, XXXTentacion’s official DJ, stated that Skins will not be XXXTentacion's final posthumous album release. [13]
In September 2018, American rapper and record producer Kanye West privately previewed a song from his upcoming album Yandhi that featured posthumous vocals by XXXTentacion. [14] On November 23, 2018, a snippet of an XXXTentacion song titled "One Minute" that featured West leaked. [15] "One Minute" was later confirmed when the official track listing was revealed on December 3, 2018. [16]
Scott Glaysher of XXL wrote, "Skins picks up right where ? left off: It's a chaotic medley of rock and rap that leaves more questions than answers." [17] The album's theme sees XXXTentacion discuss heartbreak and mental turmoil. Genres on the album draw influence from lo-fi, emo, screamo, punk rock, nu metal, ambient, trap and acoustic. [18] Like XXXTentacion's previous albums, ? features piano chords [18] and acoustic guitar, [18] but also features use of electric guitar riffs. [17]
Regarding the album's genre, Glaysher wrote, "Props are due to XXXTentacion for trying to tackle all these genres, yet despite the late artist's versatility, his third album feels a bit skeletal. The songs are short, not mixed particularly well and—perhaps due to his untimely passing—feel unfinished. Had X been around to see this album all the way through and hash out some of its rushed wrinkles, it has the potential to have been his best project yet. But as it sits right now, Skins renders itself another opportunity for XXXTentacion's cult-like following to continue enjoying new music". [18]
While XXXTentacion had sung a line of "Bad!" and talked about Skins on Instagram prior to his death, the state of the album was unconfirmed after his death until his team posted on Twitter that further details would be announced on November 9. [13] The pre-order became available shortly after "Bad!" was released. [19]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 4.6/10 [20] |
Metacritic | 44/100 [21] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [22] |
The Independent | [23] |
NME | [24] |
Pitchfork | 3.0/10 [25] |
RapReviews | 6.5/10 [26] |
Slant Magazine | [27] |
XXL | L (3/5) [28] |
At Metacritic, which assigns a rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 44, based on 9 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [21]
The Independent described the album as "another fiery blast of catharsis, a largely metaphor-free space where depression isn't hinted at poetically but invited to throw down". [23] Writing for XXL , Glaysher stated "it's a chaotic medley of rock and rap that leaves more questions than answers." [28] Slant Magazine stated "even the songs where Onfroy can be heard for more than a few seconds feel more like demos than finished tracks—an effect that can be haunting, as on the spare, acoustic guitar-driven "Difference (Interlude)" and "What Are You So Afraid Of"." [27]
Skins debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 132,000 album-equivalent units, of which 52,000 were pure album sales. [8] It is XXXTentacion's second US number-one album. The album charted on the US Billboard 200 for 18 weeks before leaving the chart. The album has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of 500,000 units in the US.
Credits adapted from Tidal. [29]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Introduction" | Jahseh Onfroy | XXXTentacion | 0:31 |
2. | "Guardian Angel" |
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| 1:48 |
3. | "Train Food" |
|
| 2:44 |
4. | "Whoa (Mind in Awe)" |
| Cunningham | 2:37 |
5. | "Bad!" |
|
| 1:34 |
6. | "Staring at the Sky" |
|
| 1:25 |
7. | "One Minute" (featuring Kanye West and Travis Barker) |
| Cunningham | 3:17 |
8. | "Difference (Interlude)" |
| Cunningham | 1:16 |
9. | "I Don't Let Go" |
|
| 2:01 |
10. | "What Are You So Afraid Of" |
|
| 2:31 |
Total length: | 19:44 |
Notes
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [53] | Gold | 10,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [54] | Silver | 60,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [55] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy, known professionally as XXXTentacion, was an American rapper and singer-songwriter. Though a controversial figure due to his widely publicized legal troubles, XXXTentacion gained a cult following among his young fan base during his short career with his depression- and alienation-themed music. Critics and fans often credit him for his musical versatility, with his music exploring emo, trap, trap metal, nu metal, indie rock, lo-fi, hip hop, R&B, and punk rock. He was considered to be a leading figure in the establishment of the emo rap and SoundCloud rap genres, which garnered mainstream attention during the mid-to-late 2010s.
Culture II is the third studio album by American hip hop group Migos. It was released on January 26, 2018, by Quality Control Music, Capitol Records and Motown. Culture II is a double album consisting of 24 tracks, and features guest appearances from 21 Savage, Drake, Gucci Mane, Travis Scott, Ty Dolla Sign, Big Sean, Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, Post Malone and 2 Chainz. It was executive produced by Quavo, alongside production work from a variety of collaborators including Metro Boomin, Buddah Bless, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and Murda Beatz, among others. The album serves as a sequel to Migos' previous album, Culture.
Issa Album is the debut studio album by British-American rapper 21 Savage. It was released on July 7, 2017, through Slaughter Gang Entertainment and distributed by Epic Records. The album features production from frequent collaborator Metro Boomin, alongside Southside, Pi'erre Bourne, Zaytoven, Wheezy, DJ Mustard and 21 Savage himself. It succeeds 21 Savage's collaborative EP with Metro Boomin, Savage Mode (2016).
17 is the debut studio album by American rapper XXXTentacion. It was released through Bad Vibes Forever and Empire Distribution on August 25, 2017. With a runtime of just under 22 minutes, 17 is a brief album and does not feature a song longer than three minutes. The album was supported by the lead single "Revenge", and is XXXTentacion's second commercial record, following the compilation mixtape of the same name (2017). 17 includes a sole guest appearance from Trippie Redd and samples by Shiloh Dynasty. Production was handled by XXXTentacion, among others.
XXXTentacion was an American rapper who released four studio albums, one compilation album, two mixtapes, four collaborative mixtapes, ten extended plays and 29 singles. As of June 2018, he sold more than 25 million album-equivalent units in the United States. XXXTentacion was awarded for sales of over 20 million records by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). As of October 2020, he has sold more than 75 million records in the United States.
Bad Vibes Forever is the fourth and final studio album by American rapper and singer-songwriter XXXTentacion. It was released through Bad Vibes Forever and Empire Distribution on December 6, 2019. The production was handled by XXXTentacion himself, alongside DJ Carnage, John Cunningham, JonFX, Ronny J, XXYYXX, and among others. The album features a wide range of guest appearances from artists including PnB Rock, Trippie Redd, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Killstation, Noah Cyrus, Tom G, Tory Lanez, Mavado, Craig Xen, Kemba, Joey Badass, Sauce Walka, Carnage, Ky-Mani Marley, Stefflon Don, Vybz Kartel, Jimmy Levy, Joyner Lucas, Ikabod Veins, and Blink-182. The album serves as a follow-up to his first posthumous album and third studio album, Skins (2018).
Lil Boat 2 is the second studio album by American rapper Lil Yachty. It was released on March 9, 2018, by Capitol Records, Motown and Quality Control Music. The album features guest appearances from Quality Control labelmates Quavo and Offset of Migos and Lil Baby, alongside 2 Chainz, Trippie Redd, Lil Pump, YoungBoy Never Broke Again and Tee Grizzley, among others.
? is the second studio album by American rapper XXXTentacion and his last studio album to be released before his death. It was released through Bad Vibes Forever, Caroline Distribution, and Capitol Music Group on March 16, 2018, and primarily produced by frequent collaborator John Cunningham, it includes a wide range of guest appearances from PnB Rock, Travis Barker of Blink-182, Joey Badass, Matt Ox, Rio Santana, Judah, and Carlos Andrez, and also succeeds the release of his debut studio album 17 (2017) and the extended play A Ghetto Christmas Carol (2017).
"Sad!" is a song by American rapper XXXTentacion from his second studio album, ? (2018). It was released as the lead single from the album on March 2, 2018. The track was written alongside producer John Cunningham. The song is XXXTentacion's highest charting in the United States, peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 following his death on June 18, 2018. It has also amassed more than 2 billion streams on Spotify, being one of the most streamed songs on the platform. The song remains X's biggest and arguably most popular hit song to date. It discusses X's experiences with depression, thoughts of suicide, and romantic turmoil, as well as his personal regrets about his past.
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Life's a Trip is the debut studio album by American rapper Trippie Redd. It was released on August 10, 2018, by TenThousand Projects and Caroline Distribution. The album features guest appearances from Diplo, Young Thug, Reese Laflare, and Travis Scott. Production was handled by OZ, Murda Beatz, BeatPusher, Honorable C.N.O.T.E., Avedon, Diplo, Scott Storch, Wheezy, Boaz van de Beatz and We Are The Stars, among others. The album cover was designed by Canadian artist Stephen Gibb.
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"Bad!" is a song by American rapper and singer XXXTentacion, released as a single on November 9, 2018. It is XXXTentacion's fifth posthumous single, and his third posthumous single to go platinum.
"One Minute" is a song by American rapper XXXTentacion featuring fellow American rapper Kanye West and American musician Travis Barker from the former's third studio album, Skins (2018) The music video was released on December 7, 2018, coinciding with the release of Skins.
Members Only, Vol. 4, also referred to by its full title XXXTentacion Presents: Members Only, Vol. 4 on streaming services, is the only studio album by American hip hop collective Members Only, led and presented posthumously by XXXTentacion. It was released on what would have been XXXTentacion's 21st birthday, January 23, 2019, via Empire Distribution. The album is the only Members Only project to be released since XXXTentacion's murder.
Look at Me: The Album is the only compilation album by American rapper XXXTentacion. Announced alongside a documentary of the same name, the album was released posthumously on June 10, 2022, 8 days before the fourth anniversary of his death. Look at Me was supported by two singles: "Vice City" and "True Love", both of which were announced early on, being previously absent from streaming services due to sample clearance problems. The album features both Ski Mask the Slump God and Kanye West.
"True Love" is a song by American rappers Kanye West and XXXTentacion. The song, which is a posthumous release for the latter, was originally included on West's demo album, Donda 2 (2022). For its single version, it was trimmed down by a minute and released by Columbia Records on May 23, 2022 in promotion for XXXTentacion's posthumous compilation album, Look at Me: The Album—serving as its second single. A slow track that features synths, it finds West discussing his estrangement from his children, while XXXTentacion croons the hook. The song was written by its performers, while production was handled by West alongside Ojivolta, Mike Dean, and John Cunningham, each of whom are also credited as co-writers.
Like 17 and ?, Skins veers wildly between rap, alternative rock, emo and even nu-metal,