Vinyl Days

Last updated

Vinyl Days
Vinyldayslogicalbum.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 17, 2022 (2022-06-17)
Recorded2021–2022
Genre Hip hop
Length71:58
Label
Producer
Logic chronology
Bobby Tarantino III
(2021)
Vinyl Days
(2022)
College Park
(2023)
Singles from Vinyl Days
  1. "Decades"
    Released: April 22, 2022
  2. "Tetris"
    Released: April 22, 2022
  3. "Therapy Music"
    Released: May 6, 2022
  4. "Vinyl Days"
    Released: May 20, 2022
  5. "Orville"
    Released: May 27, 2022
  6. "Bleed It"
    Released: June 3, 2022
  7. "Breath Control"
    Released: June 10, 2022

Vinyl Days is the seventh studio album by American rapper Logic, released on June 17, 2022, by Visionary Music Group and Def Jam Recordings, marking his final album with both labels. [1] It contains 30 songs, making it the album with the most tracks in his discography, and features guest appearances from Action Bronson, Currensy, Russ, Wiz Khalifa, Royce da 5'9, RZA, AZ, DJ Premier, the Game, and more. [2] [3] Production was primarily handled by 6ix, with additional work by Logic himself, T-Minus, and Mario Luciano, among others.

Contents

Vinyl Days was released to positive reviews from music critics. [4]

Background

The project was first announced and teased on his social media on January 11, 2022. "Decades" and "Tetris" were released as the first two singles of the project on April 22. [5] Logic spoke out on social media about mistreatment by his label, Def Jam, detailing that they had messed up his release plans for the singles and subsequent music video. [6] He then announced the project would be slated for a June 2022 release. The album contains a lot of samples, hence Logic announcing that the project would be released once all the samples clear. [7] On the Pep Talk Podcast prior to the album's release, Logic noted that Vinyl Days was created in a 12-day span and that the creative process was turned into a documentary to accompany the release. The album art can be characterized as a photo of Logic's son, Bobby, sitting on an office chair in the middle of a messy room riddled with various pop culture references. Some of the pop culture references on the album cover include a Back to the Future Part II hoverboard, the same type of drum machine that the revered J Dilla used (MPC 3000), a baby Groot from the film series Guardians of the Galaxy , a poster of Quentin Tarantino's ninth film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood , a teaser poster for Kill Bill: Volume 3 , an MF DOOM poster, Eazy-E's 1988 Eazy-Duz-It album, electric guitars, recording equipment, dozens of vinyl records, and a green road sign which previews the title of his next album College Park which he announced on numerous songs throughout the album such as "LaDonda", "Clouds", "Kickstyle", and "Sayonara".

Release and promotion

Vinyl Days was released on June 17, 2022. Prior to the album's release, he released music videos for Breath Control, [8] Clouds, [9] and Tetris [10] respectively. In an interview with NPR after the album's release, Logic said "I chose Vinyl Days because we actually recorded the entire album in about 12 days, for a wild reason that I'll explain another time". [11]

A verse in the song, "LaDonda", revolving around music critic Anthony Fantano, who had given Logic negative reviews in the past, generated controversy and discussion online due to a portion of the verse in which Logic recounts, “I used to fantasize about murdering you, choking you to death and watching from your point of view ’til we got friendly”. [12] Fantano, not having been alerted of the contents of the verse ahead of time, heard the line for the first time during a livestream, causing him to go on a rant. He stated that the line had made him feel “embarrassed”, further adding, “I feel overemphasized. There never should have been any reason Logic should hate me in the first place. Because I’m just reviewing albums. You’re just one of many guys whose albums I review negatively.” [13]

The album was released in the same week as projects by two high-profile hip-hop artists, Honestly, Nevermind by Drake and Khaza by Kevin Gates. [14]

On July 4th, over two weeks after the release of the album, Logic announced that he had signed to BMG [15] Speaking on signing with BMG, he stated “I’m just glad to move on to a place where I can be independent, and respected as an artist, and feel like I’m in control of my career.” [15]

On July 16, Logic released a documentary that detailed the making of and inspirations for the album. [16]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [17]
HipHopDX3.5/5 [4]
Pitchfork 6.4/10 [18]
Riff Magazine6/10 [19]
Atwood Magazine8/10 [20]

Vinyl Days received generally positive reviews from music critics. Brady Brickner-Wood from Pitchfork gave a mixed review saying, "Both impressive and tiring, Logic's seventh studio album stuffs 30 tracks' worth of throwback beats and technical rapping into overbearing conceptual frameworks." [18] Tim Hoffman from Riff Magazine also gave a positive review stating, "for what it's worth, it's nice to have an energetic and passionate presence like Logic's return." [19] Riley Wallace from HipHopDX gave another positive review stating, "Conceptually, the sequencing and pace of the LP is stellar; it sounds excellent, the features show up and show out and the skits, though maybe overkill, do help give things a ’90s college radio mixtape feel (complete with Funk Flex as a de facto host and hype man)." [4] David Crone from AllMusic stated that "With an end to producing a smaller, more substantive set of ideas, the Vinyl Days sessions might have produced another five-star effort in Logic’s catalog; though all too brief, these flashes of rap’s golden era are colored in all the right hues. Vinyl Days isn’t the second coming of Young Sinatra, but it may mark the start of a compelling new dawn for the MC." [21]

Commercial performance

Vinyl Days was expected to debut on the Billboard 200 with projected sales of 35,000 to 45,000 units. [22] Vinyl Days debuted at number 12 on the US Billboard 200 chart. This became Logic's eighth US top 20 debut.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Danger"0:44
2."Tetris"
  • 6ix
  • Logic
2:04
3."In My Lifetime" (featuring Action Bronson)Logic1:48
4."Decades"
2:28
5."JJ Abrahams"
  • Hall II
  • Koal Harrison
  • Logic
  • The Kount
0:19
6."BlackWhiteBoy"
  • Hall II
  • Ivatury
  • Lakhari Theodore Boyd
  • 6ix
  • Tedd Boyd
3:01
7."Quasi"
  • Hall II
  • Tom Nehls
Logic1:45
8."Bleed It"
  • 6ix
  • Logic
2:31
9."LaDonda"
  • Hall II
  • Regional Garland
Logic2:14
10."Aaron Judge"
  • Hall II
  • Mario Luciano
  • Logic
  • Mario Luciano
0:23
11."Clouds" (featuring Langston Bristol and Currensy)
  • 6ix
  • Logic
  • PSTMN
2:53
12."Michael Rap"
  • Hall II
  • Koal Harrison
  • Steve Wyreman
  • Logic
  • Steve Wyreman
  • The Kount
0:45
13."Therapy Music" (featuring Russ)6ix4:22
14."Tony Revolori"
  • Hall II
  • Mario Luciano
  • Logic
  • Mario Luciano
1:30
15."Rogue One"
6ix1:34
16."Breath Control" (featuring Wiz Khalifa)
6ix2:27
17."NEMS"
  • Hall II
  • Koal Harrison
  • Steve Wyreman
  • Logic
  • Steve Wyreman
  • The Kount
0:47
18."Nardwuar" (featuring Doc D)
Logic1:26
19."Kickstyle" (featuring IamJMARS, Big Lenbo and C Dot Castro)
  • Hall II
  • Ivatury
  • Christopher Castro
  • James Branch
  • Jan Weissenfeldt
  • Jordan Thornton
  • Leon Ressalam
  • 6ix
  • Logic
2:50
20."EarlyBird"
  • Hall II
  • Mario Luciano
  • Donte Perkins
  • Logic
  • Mario Luciano
  • Tae Beast
1:07
21."Ten Years" (featuring Royce da 5'9)
  • JRB
  • Vig
3:01
22."Porta One" (featuring RZA)
6ix2:06
23."NeedleDrop"
  • Hall II
  • Koal Harrison
  • Mario Luciano
  • Logic
  • Mario Luciano
  • The Kount
1:26
24."Introducing Nezi" (featuring Nezi Momodu)
2:47
25."Orville" (featuring Like, Blu and Exile)
6ix3:22
26."Carnival" (featuring AZ)
  • 6ix
  • PSTMN
2:34
27."Lena's Insight"
  • Hall II
  • Christopher Pegram
  • Mario Luciano
  • Vignesh Vishwanathan
  • ALFIii
  • Logic
  • Mario Luciano
  • Vig
0:58
28."Vinyl Days" (featuring DJ Premier)6ix4:42
29."I Guess I Love It" (featuring the Game)
  • 6ix
  • Logic
3:48
30."Sayonara"
  • Hall II
  • Ivatury
  • James Reese
  • Marlene King
6ix10:03
Total length:71:58

Notes

Vocal credits

Samples

Charts

Chart performance for Vinyl Days
Chart (2022)Peak
position
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [23] 30
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [24] 78
UK R&B Albums (OCC) [25] 20
US Billboard 200 [26] 12
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [27] 6

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