Traumazine | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 12, 2022 | |||
Genre | Hip hop | |||
Length | 51:05 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
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Megan Thee Stallion chronology | ||||
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Singles from Traumazine | ||||
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Traumazine is the second studio album by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion, released on August 12, 2022. [1] This was her final work with 300 Entertainment and 1501 Certified. [2]
Upon release, Traumazine received positive reviews from critics, who complimented its production and Megan's flow. It was nominated for the BET Hip Hop Award for Album of the Year. [3] The album's lead single, "Sweetest Pie" with English singer Dua Lipa, peaked at number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Commercially, the album debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200, becoming Megan Thee Stallion's fifth US top 10 album. It did not achieve high placements in international charts, sparking a lawsuit by the rapper who accused the label of insufficient promotion. The album was later certified Gold by the RIAA for selling over 500,000 units.
In 2020 Megan Thee Stallion filed suit against her record label 1501 Certified Entertainment to renegotiate her contract, after her management company Roc Nation found it "iffy". [4] [5] When Something for Thee Hotties was released the record label didn't recognize it as an album, because it has 29 minutes of new material instead of 45, so the rapper would have to release two more albums in addition to Something. [6] On February 18, 2022, Megan filed suit against the label claiming that Something respects the definition of an album with at least 45 minutes of material. [5] [7]
On August 11, 2022, Megan took to Twitter to announce that her second studio album Traumazine would be released the next day. [8] The rapper also wrote about the lawsuit, expressing her disappointment and emotional distress at the difficulty she is experiencing in releasing her music, but ending her message to fans with the phrase "we almost out". [9] Megan defined the album title as referring to a chemical released in the brain when forced to deal with "painful emotions caused by traumatic events and experiences. See synonyms: self-realization". [10] [11]
After the low promotion of Traumazine by the label, Thee Stallion has started a second lawsuit, accusing the company of contributing to the album's poor sales and marketing. [12] On October 19, 2023, lawyers from 1501 Certified Entertainment confirmed that they and Thee Stallion had reached a confidential agreement to resolve their legal differences by parting amicably. [13]
Lyrically, Traumazine contains themes related to self-expression, the empowerment of African-American women, death, and overcoming difficult moments in life. [14] [15] In an interview with Ebro Darden and Nadeska Alexis of Apple Music, the rapper discussed the meaning of the record project: [16]
Usually when I write songs […] I could be sad. […] I don't write songs about how I feel, I write songs about how I want to feel. So I feel like, on this album, it's probably the first time I figured out how to talk about what I want to say… express myself a little bit more. So that's just how I've been living life. And I feel like it's been so easy for people to tell my story for me, speak on my behalf because I'm a nonchalant person, I feel like. […] But like I see now that it can get out of control so I feel like I wanted to just take control of my narrative, take control of my own story. Tell it my way, tell it from me.
The album featured several collaborations from Dua Lipa, Future, and Key Glock, and additional guest appearances from Latto, Pooh Shiesty, Rico Nasty, Jhené Aiko, Lucky Daye, Sauce Walka, Lil' Keke, and Big Pokey. [17]
The first single was "Sweetest Pie", with English singer Dua Lipa, released on March 11, 2022. The second single was "Plan B", released on April 22, 2022. It was followed by the collaboration "Pressurelicious" with Future, released on July 21, 2022, and "Her", released three days after the release of the album. A music video for "Ungrateful" featuring American rapper Key Glock was released on September 6, 2022.
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.5/10 [18] |
Metacritic | 80/100 [19] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [20] |
Clash | 8/10 [21] |
The Guardian | [22] |
MusicOMH | [23] |
NME | [24] |
Pitchfork | 7.1/10 [25] |
Rolling Stone | [26] |
Slant Magazine | [27] |
The Telegraph | [28] |
Traumazine was met with a very positive response from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album has an average score of 80 based on 11 reviews. [29]
Time journalist Moises Mendez II wrote that the rapper "alternates between knocking down every obstacle that stands in her way and realizing that some obstacles will take longer to get past than others", adding "with Traumazine, we see her dig deeper into her insecurities", citing the "most gut-wrenching lines in the album", referring to her parents' death. Mendez additionally noted the "dark and ominous" production tone, with lyrical references to the difficult rise for an African American woman in the music industry and the legal battle to dissolve her 1501 Certified record contract. [15]
NPR editor Sidney Madden defined the album as a "huge artistic step" because "tracks are offset with deep contemplations about the trauma she's experienced in her life so far and, more pointedly, the double standards in society that black women carry with them when they're objectified". Madden states that it is comparable to a diary in which "she's having a stream of conscious. [...] It's raw. It's real. And it can't be faked". [14]
In a more reserved review for AllMusic, Fred Thomas described the album as, "solid but inconsistent, with one foot in formula-tested mainstream rap and the other in a more confessional, emotionally bare territory that's new for Megan Thee Stallion. Despite its occasional unevenness, the album is exciting in both its moments of audience-tested hitmaking and when Megan cracks the veneer of her invincible persona to share feelings that are difficult, messy, and real." [20]
Traumazine debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 with 63,000 album-equivalent units (including 8,000 pure album sales), becoming Megan Thee Stallion's fifth US top-10 album. [30] It descended to number 9 the following week, selling 29,000 units, and then to 23 in its third week.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "NDA" |
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| 3:21 |
2. | "Ungrateful" (featuring Key Glock) |
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| 2:34 |
3. | "Not Nice" |
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| 2:46 |
4. | "Budget" (featuring Latto) |
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| 3:22 |
5. | "Her" |
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| 2:17 |
6. | "Gift & a Curse" |
| 2:52 | |
7. | "Ms. Nasty" |
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| 2:12 |
8. | "Who Me" (featuring Pooh Shiesty) |
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| 1:58 |
9. | "Red Wine" |
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| 2:34 |
10. | "Scary" (featuring Rico Nasty) | 2:34 | ||
11. | "Anxiety" |
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| 2:15 |
12. | "Flip Flop" |
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| 2:08 |
13. | "Consistency" (featuring Jhené Aiko) |
| 3:40 | |
14. | "Star" (featuring Lucky Daye) |
| 3:30 | |
15. | "Pressurelicious" (featuring Future) |
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| 2:53 |
16. | "Plan B" |
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| 2:44 |
17. | "Southside Royalty Freestyle" (featuring Sauce Walka, Big Pokey and Lil' Keke) |
| 4:03 | |
18. | "Sweetest Pie" (with Dua Lipa) |
| 3:21 | |
Total length: | 51:04 |
Note
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United States (RIAA) [44] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Various | August 12, 2022 | [45] | ||
August 15, 2022 | CD | [46] |
"Ungrateful" is a song by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion featuring fellow American rapper Key Glock, from the former's second studio album Traumazine (2022). It was produced by Bandplay.
"Plan B" is a song by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. She previewed the song during her performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival; it was then released a week later on April 22, 2022. It serves as the second single from her second studio album Traumazine.
Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, known professionally as Megan Thee Stallion, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Originally from Houston, Texas, she first garnered attention when videos of her freestyling became popular on social media platforms such as Instagram. She signed with 1501 Certified Entertainment in 2018, and saw her mainstream breakthrough the following year with the release of her singles "Hot Girl Summer" and "Cash Shit" ; the former peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 while the latter received quadruple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). "Cash Shit" was also included on her commercial mixtape Fever (2019), which was followed by her extended play Suga (2020)—both of which peaked within the top ten of the Billboard 200.
American rapper Megan Thee Stallion has released three studio albums, one compilation album, three mixtapes, three extended plays, 59 singles, and six promotional singles. In her early career, Megan Thee Stallion released the non-commercial, SoundCloud-exclusive mixtapes Rich Ratchet (2016) and Megan Mix (2017). She made her official solo debut by commercially releasing her first professional EP, Make It Hot, on September 18, 2017, which was followed by her second EP Tina Snow on December 21, 2018.
Fever is the third and debut commercial mixtape by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion, released on May 17, 2019, via 300 Entertainment and 1501 Certified. Primarily produced by LilJuMadeDaBeat and written by the rapper herself, it also features guest appearances from rappers DaBaby and Juicy J. Fever is a hip hop record driven by minimal bass-heavy trap production. It is widely considered by music critics as Megan Thee Stallion's mainstream breakthrough.
"Hot Girl Summer" is a song by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion featuring Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj and American singer Ty Dolla Sign, released on August 9, 2019 by 300 Entertainment. It was written by all three artists alongside Syed Hossain, Derrick Milano, and producers Crazy Mike, Juicy J, & Bone Collector, with additional writing credits going to Earl On The Beat, JT, and Lil Yachty for the sampling of City Girls' 2019 song "Act Up"; the song was produced by Bone Collector, Juicy J, and Crazy Mike and engineered by Irving Gadoury. Commercially, the song debuted and peaked at number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100. On Billboard's Rhythmic Songs airplay chart, it became Megan Thee Stallion's first number one, Nicki Minaj's eighth, and Ty Dolla Sign's third.
Suga is the third extended play by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. It was released on March 6, 2020, by 1501 Certified Entertainment and 300 Entertainment. It features guest appearances from Kehlani and Gunna. The project's release was preceded by legal troubles between the rapper and the label, following a contract renegotiation attempt, which led to the filing of a temporary restraining order towards the label. Megan had initially intended for it to be her debut studio album, but instead released it as an EP as a result.
Julian Martrel Mason, better known under the pseudonym LilJuMadeDaBeat, is an American record producer and songwriter, most known for his work with 2 Chainz, Beyoncé and Megan Thee Stallion. Mason has co-written and/or produced hits "Big Ole Freak", "Cash Shit", "Captain Hook", "Body", "Megan's Piano", and "Thot Shit" among others.
"Don't Stop" is a song by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion featuring fellow American rapper Young Thug. It was written alongside Ricky Remedy and producer Buddah Bless. The song was released on October 2, 2020 by 1501 Certified Entertainment and 300 Entertainment as the second official single from her debut studio album Good News (2020). Musically, it is a sex-positive hip hop song with production inspired by electronic and industrial music.
Good News is the debut studio album by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. It was released on November 20, 2020, by 300 Entertainment and 1501 Certified. The album features guest appearances from DaBaby, City Girls, Lil Durk, SZA, Popcaan, Mustard, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Young Thug, and Beyoncé. The music was written and produced with a host of musicians, including D.A Got That Dope, LilJuMadeDaBeat, Juicy J, J. White Did It, and Scott Storch.
"Body" is a song by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion, who wrote the song during the COVID-19 quarantine and was inspired by her own figure during the creative process, with additional concentration on sizes of waist and breasts. It was released on November 20, 2020, by 1501 Certified Entertainment and 300 Entertainment as the third single from her debut studio album Good News (2020). It coincided with the release of the album and was supported by a music video featuring cameo appearances from Taraji P. Henson, Blac Chyna, and Jordyn Woods, among others.
Something for Thee Hotties is a compilation album by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. It was released on October 29, 2021, by 300 Entertainment and 1501 Certified as a "thank you" gift to Megan's fanbase. The compilation serves as a collection of some of her previously-released YouTube freestyles, as well as previously unreleased archival songs; with the only guest appearances Juicy J, VickeeLo and Dino BTW contributing skits. It also includes "Thot Shit", which was released as a single in June that year. The compilation was produced primarily by LilJuMadeDaBeat, with external contributions from a variety of producers including Juicy J, Murda Beatz, and J.R. Rotem, among others.
"Sweetest Pie" is a song by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion and English-Albanian singer Dua Lipa, released on March 11, 2022, through 1501 Certified and 300 Entertainment. The song serves as the lead single from Megan Thee Stallion's second studio album Traumazine.
"Pressurelicious" is a song by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion featuring fellow American rapper Future, released on July 21, 2022 through 1501 Certified and 300 Entertainment. It was produced by Hitkidd and serves as the third single from the former's second studio album Traumazine.
"Her" is a song by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion from her second studio album Traumazine (2022). It was produced by CashMoneyAP, YoungKio, Malibu Babie and Vaugh Oliver.
"Anxiety" is a song by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion from her second studio album Traumazine (2022). It was produced by Go Grizzly.
"Cobra" is a song by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion from her third studio album, Megan (2024). It was released independently through Hot Girl Productions on November 3, 2023, as the album's lead single. It marked her first single since departing from her record label 1501 Certified Entertainment in October 2023.
"Hiss" is a song by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion from her third studio album, Megan (2024). It was released independently through Hot Girl Productions on January 26, 2024, as the second single from the album.
Megan is the third studio album by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. It was released through Hot Girl Productions and Warner Music Group on June 28, 2024. It is Megan's first album to be released under her independent label Hot Girl Productions after her departure from former labels 300 Entertainment and 1501 Certified.
"Boa" is a song by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion from her third studio album, Megan (2024). It was released through Hot Girl Productions and Warner Music Group on May 10, 2024, as the third single from the album. The song samples "What You Waiting For?" by Gwen Stefani, for which both Stefani and songwriter Linda Perry receive a writing credit.