Syre (album)

Last updated
Syre
SyreJadenSmith.jpg
Studio album by
Jaden Smith
ReleasedNovember 17, 2017 (2017-11-17)
Recorded2014–2017 [1]
Length70:29
Label
Producer
Jaden Smith chronology
This Is the Album
(2015)		Syre
(2017)		 Syre: The Electric Album
(2018)
Singles from Syre
  1. "Fallen"
    Released: December 5, 2016
  2. "Batman"
    Released: July 14, 2017
  3. "Watch Me"
    Released: July 14, 2017
  4. "Falcon"
    Released: November 16, 2017
  5. "Icon"
    Released: November 17, 2017

Syre (stylized as SYRE and SYRE: A Beautiful Confusion [2] [3] [4] [5] ) is the debut studio album by American rapper Jaden Smith. It was released on November 17, 2017, through MSFTSMusic and Roc Nation under the partnership between Interscope Records and Republic Records. The album debuted at number 24 on the U.S. Billboard 200 for the chart dated December 9, 2017. [6] It features appearances from ASAP Rocky and Raury, along with additional vocals from Kevin Abstract, Pia Mia, and Jaden’s sister Willow Smith.

Contents

Background

The album was teased after the release of Jaden's music video for "Fallen" back in December 2016. [7] The album title is a reference to his full name Jaden Christopher Syre Smith. [8] In an interview with Complex about the album title, Jaden said that:

Syre really just came to me one day. I didn’t know what I was going to call the album, but one day it really really came. I don’t know what happened. It was like a switch—from one second to another, my whole life switched. I realized that Syre was the answer, what I had to move forward with. People love to just talk about me by name and say, "Oh, Jaden Smith this, Jaden Smith that." It’s time for a new awakening and a new consciousness. Anybody who thinks they know me, this album is something completely different from what they think. [1]

Promotion

Following the announcement of the release date for Syre, Smith posted twelve visuals, including seven videos, to Instagram, forming the project's artwork when the thumbnails are viewed together. The center post is a video captioned, "The Syre Movie Trailer. Score By Ricky Eat Acid," and the other six videos are song teasers that conclude with title cards featuring the track names. [9] [10]

Singles

"Fallen" was released as the lead single from the album on December 5, 2016. [7] [11] [12]

"Batman" and "Watch Me" were released as the album's second and third single respectively on July 14, 2017. [13] [14] [15] [16]

"Falcon" was released as the album's fourth single on November 16, 2017. [17] The song features a guest appearance from American singer Raury. [18]

"Icon" was released as the album's fifth single on November 17, 2017, along with an accompanied music video. The song features background vocals from Will Smith. [19] An official remix of the song featuring American singer-rapper Nicky Jam, with an accompanied music video was released on May 25, 2018. [20]

Composition

Talking to Vanity Fair , Smith said that Syre was inspired by Kanye West's The Life of Pablo and Frank Ocean's Blonde . [3] Syre has been compared to a musical with multiple characters with the main character Syre being played by Jaden Smith as Syre experiences sadness, anger and regret following the breakdown of a relationship [21] with references to Adam and Eve [22] and the myth of Icarus. [23] The album, which is over an hour long, [24] chronicles the coming of age of the character, Syre. Speaking on the character, Smith said “It's really just become a legacy of this guy, this kid, who chases the sunset – and then one day, it chases him back and he can't get away – it really is the story of me coming to be a young adult, and it wasn't easy at all." [25] The story also has mentions of Smith's personal life with a song dedicated to his ex-girlfriend, Sarah Snyder [21] and his failure to dissociate with his father's fame. [26]

The album is "full of soaring harmonies and dark, moody production" [27] and combines "folk, metal, ‘70s rock, Christian pop and Detroit techno" with NME comparing it to putting a Spotify playlist on shuffle. [22]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 69/100 [28]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [29]
Exclaim! 8/10 [30]
HipHopDX 4.1/5 [31]
HotNewHipHop60% [32]
The PostStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [33]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [34]
Pitchfork 5.1/10 [35]
SaluteStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [36]

Syre received generally positive reviews from music critics upon its release, 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 six reviews. [28] A. Harmony of Exclaim! said, "Genre-fluid and dense, Jaden Smith's Roc Nation debut is a lot to process. SYRE changes shape in such a way that it plays like two distinct albums; it's a sonic playground, and Smith bounces from toy to toy, flexing his artistic muscle throughout." [30] Kyle Eustice of HipHopDX praised the album's creativity, production, and commended Jaden's stylistic progressions and improvement from his past releases. [31] In contrast, Pitchfork's Kevin Lozano criticized the rapping and lyrics, writing, "Full of chaotic beats and cringe-worthy lyrics, the debut studio album from Jaden Smith is a sophistic, paranoid fantasy that mixes new-age thinking with apocalyptic rhetoric." [35]

Commercial performance

In the United States, Syre debuted at number 24 on the Billboard 200 earning 20,467 album-equivalent units, with 3,813 coming from pure album sales. [37]

Track listing

Credits were adapted from Tidal. [38]

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."B"
 Lido 3:06
2."L"
  • Smith
  • Losnegård
Lido2:23
3."U"
  • Smith
  • Losnegård
Lido4:45
4."E"
  • Smith
  • Losnegård
Lido3:23
5."Breakfast" (featuring ASAP Rocky)
  • Lewis
  • OmArr
3:04
6."Hope"
  • Smith
  • Losnegård
Lido6:00
7."Falcon" (featuring Raury)
Suby3:43
8."Ninety"
  • Smith
  • Losnegård
Lido7:48
9."Lost Boy"
  • Smith
  • Mateo Arias
  • Rambert
  • Josiah Bell
  • Teo
  • OmArr
  • Bell
9:29
10."Batman"
3:04
11."Icon"
  • Smith
  • Lewis
  • Rambert
  • Lewis
  • OmArr
3:40
12."Watch Me"
  • Smith
  • Rambert
  • Winfrey
  • Young Fyre
  • OmArr [a]
2:34
13."Fallen"
  • Smith
  • T. Thompson
IQ4:22
14."The Passion"
4:29
15."George Jeff"
  • Smith
  • Rambert
  • Winfrey
  • OmArr
  • Young Fyre
2:17
16."Rapper"
  • Smith
  • Kevin Jacoutot
Wonderlust2:20
17."Syre"Smith
3:54
Total length:70:21

Notes

Sample credits

Charts

Chart (2017)Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [40] 80
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [41] 32
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [42] 63
French Albums (SNEP) [43] 142
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [44] 33
UK Albums (OCC) [45] 85
US Billboard 200 [46] 24
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [47] 10

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [48] Gold500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Budden</span> American rapper and media personality (born 1980)

Joseph Anthony Budden II is an American media personality, broadcaster, cultural critic, and retired rapper. He first gained recognition in the latter occupation with his 2003 single "Pump It Up", which peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 and preceded the release of his eponymous debut studio album (2003). Met with critical and commercial success, the album peaked within the top ten of the Billboard 200, although it served as his only major label release for Def Jam Recordings; he thereafter released seven albums independently to continued critical praise. While doing so, he performed as a member of the hip hop supergroup Slaughterhouse, which were signed to Eminem's Shady Records in 2012; the group released two studio albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaden Smith</span> American rapper and actor (born 1998)

Jaden Christopher Syre Smith is an American rapper and actor. The son of Jada Pinkett-Smith and Will Smith, he has received various accolades, including a Teen Choice Award, an MTV Movie Award, a BET Award and a Young Artist Award. He has received a Grammy Award nomination, and has won two NAACP Image Awards and an Empire Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Sean discography</span>

American rapper Big Sean has released five studio albums, four mixtapes, thirty-one singles, eight promotional singles, and thirty-nine music videos. In 2008, Big Sean was discovered by American rapper and record producer Kanye West, who signed Sean to his record label GOOD Music—distributed through Def Jam Recordings. Since 2008, after signing a record deal to West's label G.O.O.D. Music, Sean's career continued through his mixtapes such as Finally Famous Vol. 2: UKnowBigSean (2009) and Finally Famous Vol. 3: BIG (2010). While he was releasing these mixtapes, he collaborated on various tracks and/or singles from West, Royce da 5'9" and Chris Brown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meek Mill discography</span>

The discography of American rapper Meek Mill consists of five studio albums, seven extended plays, one compilation album, three collaborative albums, eleven mixtapes, fifty-four singles, ten promotional singles and thirty music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">French Montana discography</span> Hip hop recording artist discography

The discography of Moroccan-American rapper French Montana consists of five studio albums, twenty-six mixtapes, 51 singles including 57 as featured artist, 32 music videos and 18 promotional singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ASAP Rocky discography</span>

The discography of American rapper ASAP Rocky consists of three studio albums, one mixtape, 42 singles, eight promotional singles and 31 music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Show Me (Kid Ink song)</span> 2013 single by Kid Ink

"Show Me" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kid Ink. The song was released on September 17, 2013, by Tha Alumni Music Group, 88 Classic and RCA Records as the lead single from his second studio album, My Own Lane (2014). The song, produced by DJ Mustard and Mike Free, features a hook by American recording artist Chris Brown. The song peaked at number 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 23 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bas (rapper)</span> Sudanese-American rapper from New York

Abbas Hamad, known professionally as Bas, is a French-born Sudanese-American rapper. He signed with J. Cole's Dreamville Records, an imprint of Interscope Records to release his debut studio album, Last Winter (2014). It was met with positive critical reception and entered the Billboard 200, along with his second and third albums, Too High to Riot (2016) and Milky Way (2018). His fourth album, We Only Talk About Real Shit When We're Fucked Up (2023) was met with continued praise despite failing to chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raury</span> American musician

Raury Deshawn Tullis is an American singer-songwriter and rapper. He is known for his eclectic sound, mixing the genres of soul, hip hop and folk. Born and raised in Stone Mountain, Georgia, he was the inaugural artist signed to the Georgia-based record label Love Renaissance in 2012. He released his debut mixtape Indigo Child in August 2014 to critical acclaim, leading him to sign a recording contract from Columbia Records. His debut studio album, All We Need (2015) was released the following year and marked his sole entry on the Billboard 200. After departing the label in 2018, he released three follow-up albums independently. He was also a member to the C5 Georgia Youth Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teyana Taylor discography</span>

American singer Teyana Taylor has released three studio albums, one compilation album, three mixtapes, and fifteen singles. In 2009, Taylor released her first mixtape, From a Planet Called Harlem, which included her debut single "Google Me". It debuted at its peak of number ninety on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Around this time, Taylor featured on songs with the likes of Trey Songz, Missy Elliott, and Kanye West. Taylor has spoken about her inspiration from fellow female musician Lauryn Hill, which was noted with the release of her second mixtape in 2012. The mixtape, entitled The Misunderstanding of Teyana Taylor, takes its name from Hill's album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaden Smith discography</span>

American rapper Jaden Smith has released three studio albums, three mixtapes, three extended plays, 16 singles and 28 music videos. In 2010, Smith collaborated with singer Justin Bieber on the song "Never Say Never", which peaked at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100 and later becoming certified 5× platinum by the RIAA. Smith released his debut mixtape, The Cool Cafe: Cool Tape Vol. 1, in October 2012, which was followed up by CTV2, a sequel to his mixtape, on November 18, 2014. He then released a three-track collaborative EP with producer Daniel D'artiste titled This Is the Album in February 2015.

<i>Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin</i> 2016 studio album by Kid Cudi

Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin' is the sixth studio album by American rapper Kid Cudi. The album was released on December 16, 2016, through Wicked Awesome Records and Republic Records. It succeeds Cudi's alternative rock album Speedin' Bullet 2 Heaven (2015). The album features guest appearances from André 3000, Pharrell Williams, Travis Scott and Willow Smith. The production on the album was handled by Cudi himself, alongside Plain Pat, Mike Dean, Dot da Genius, Anthony Kilhoffer, Mike Will Made It and Pharrell Williams, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">That Part</span> 2016 single by Schoolboy Q featuring Kanye West

"That Part" is a hip hop song by American hip hop recording artist Schoolboy Q featuring Kanye West. It was released on May 13, 2016 by Top Dawg Entertainment and Interscope Records, as the lead single from Schoolboy Q's fourth album Blank Face LP, and was produced by Cardo, Yung Exclusive, Cubeatz and Sounwave. The song was nominated for Best Rap Performance at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. HipHopDX named it the ninth best hip-hop song of 2016.

<i>KOD</i> (album) 2018 studio album by J. Cole

KOD is the fifth studio album by American rapper J. Cole. It was released on April 20, 2018 through Dreamville Records, Roc Nation and Interscope Records.

<i>Syre: The Electric Album</i> 2018 EP by Jaden

Syre: The Electric Album is the second extended play recorded by American rapper Jaden. It was released on July 12, 2018, through MSFTSMusic and Roc Nation under the partnership between Interscope Records and Republic Records. It is the follow-up to Smith's debut album Syre, released in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Icon (song)</span> 2017 single by Jaden

"Icon" is a song by American rapper Jaden from his debut studio album Syre (2017). The song was released on November 17, 2017.

<i>YSIV</i> 2018 studio album by Logic

YSIV is the fourth studio album by American rapper Logic, released on September 28, 2018, by Visionary Music Group and Def Jam Recordings. The album art, featuring a mugshot of Logic, is stylized similarly to the famous mugshot of Frank Sinatra and reminiscent of the artwork for Logic's second mixtape Young Sinatra, released in 2011. The album serves as a sequel to the mixtape Young Sinatra: Welcome to Forever, released in 2013, and is the fourth and final installment of the Young Sinatra series. The album is notable for being credited as an album in the Young Sinatra series, as the previous titles were released as mixtapes. It features guest appearances from all living members of Wu-Tang Clan, Wale, Jaden, Ryan Tedder and Hailee Steinfeld, among others.

<i>The Sunset Tapes: A Cool Tape Story</i> 2018 mixtape by Jaden

The Sunset Tapes: A Cool Tape Story is the third mixtape by American rapper Jaden, released on November 17, 2018, through MSFTSMusic and Roc Nation under the partnership between Interscope and Republic Records. It premiered on Beats 1 and was released in part to mark the one-year anniversary of Syre. The mixtape is a part of Smith's Cool Tape series which was preceded by The Cool Cafe: Cool Tape Vol. 1 and CTV2.

This article summarizes the events, album releases, and album release dates in hip hop music for the year 2019.

<i>Erys</i> 2019 studio album by Jaden

Erys is the second studio album by American rapper Jaden, released on July 5, 2019, through MSFTSMusic and Roc Nation. It is the follow-up to 2017's Syre, and features collaborations with Tyler, the Creator, Trinidad James, ASAP Rocky, Kid Cudi, Lido, and Willow. The lead single "Again" was released on July 2.

References

  1. 1 2 "Exclusive: Jaden Smith Drops "Icon" Video and Explains Why It Took 3 Years to Make 'SYRE'". Complex. November 17, 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Stream Jaden Smith's New Album, 'SYRE: A Beautiful Confusion'". HYPEBEAST. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
  3. 1 2 Adler, Dan. "Jaden Smith Wants to Make Sure He's Understood". Vanities. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
  4. ↑ "Jaden Smith's SYRE: A Beautiful Confusion - VASHTIE". VASHTIE. 2017-11-27. Archived from the original on 2018-02-16. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
  5. ↑ "Jaden Smith announces release date for SYRE". The FADER. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
  6. ↑ "Billboard 200 – December 9, 2017". Billboard. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  7. 1 2 "Watch Jaden Smith Destroy a Pair of Rare Nikes in His New Music Video". GQ . Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Listen to Jaden Smith's 'Syre' Album". XXL . Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Jaden Smith announces release date for SYRE". The Fader. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Jaden Smith Reveals Surprise 'SYRE' Project on Instagram". Billboard . Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Jaden Smith's New Music Video Looks Like "Westworld" Season 2" . Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Watch Jaden Smith Stumble Around A Ghost Town In New "Fallen" Video". The Fader . Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  13. ↑ "Jaden Smith Announces New Single "Batman"". Rap-Up. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Batman - Single by Jaden Smith on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  15. ↑ "Jaden Smith Has Our Full Attention in 'Watch Me' Video: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  16. ↑ "Watch Me - Single by Jaden Smith on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  17. ↑ "Falcon (feat. Raury) - Single by Jaden Smith on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  18. ↑ "Jaden Smith Teams Up With Raury On New Song "Falcon"". XXL. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  19. ↑ "Jaden Smith Fronts Gold Chains & Grills In "Icon" Video". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  20. ↑ "Jaden Smith - Icon (Remix) ft. Nicky Jam (Official Video)". May 24, 2018.
  21. 1 2 "Jaden Smith - SYRE - Album Review". HipHopSharks. Archived from the original on 2018-02-16. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
  22. 1 2 "Jaden Smith – 'Syre' Album Review – NME". NME. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
  23. ↑ "Jaden Smith: SYRE Album Review | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
  24. ↑ SYRE by Jaden Smith on Apple Music, 2017-11-17, retrieved 2018-02-15
  25. ↑ "Jaden Smith Talks Impressive Debut Album 'SYRE', Why He Wants To Be Like Elon Musk & More". Billboard. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
  26. ↑ "Album Review: Jaden Smith – SYRE | The Mancunion". mancunion.com. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
  27. ↑ "Review: Jaden Smith's Creativity Bathes In Complexity On "SYRE"". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
  28. 1 2 "Reviews and Tracks for Syre by Jaden Smith". Metacritic. Retrieved June 26, 2017.
  29. ↑ Yeung, Neil Z. "SYRE – Jaden Smith". AllMusic. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  30. 1 2 Harmony, A. (November 21, 2017). "Jaden Smith Syre". Exclaim!. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  31. 1 2 Eustice, Kyle (November 17, 2017). "Jaden Smith "SYRE" Album Review". HipHopDX. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  32. ↑ Robles, Julian (November 23, 2017). "Jaden Smith "SYRE" Review". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  33. ↑ Greenlee, Chuck (November 19, 2017). "Album Review: Jaden Smith reframes himself through 'SYRE'". The Post. Archived from the original on November 20, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  34. ↑ Milton, Jamie (November 20, 2017). "Jaden Smith – 'Syre' Review". NME. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  35. 1 2 Lozano, Kevin (November 20, 2017). "Jaden Smith: SYRE Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  36. ↑ Offner, Daniel (November 24, 2017). "Review: Jaden Smith's Introspective Debut Album 'SYRE'". Salute Magazine. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  37. ↑ "Hip Hop Album Sales: Jaden Smith & PnB Rock Make Modest Billboard 200 Debuts". Hip Hop DX . November 27, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  38. ↑ "Syre / Jaden Smith Tidal" . Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  39. ↑ "Pia Mia Teams Up With Jaden and Willow Smith On New Song 'B". MTV . Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  40. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Jaden Smith – Syre" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  41. ↑ "Jaden Smith Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  42. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Jaden Smith – Syre" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  43. ↑ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums – SNEP (Week 47, 2017)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique . Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  44. ↑ "Charts.nz – Jaden Smith – Syre". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  45. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  46. ↑ "Jaden Smith Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  47. ↑ "Jaden Smith Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  48. ↑ "American album certifications – Jaden – Syre". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved February 27, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.