Hi everyone, Badthony Daytano here, the Internet's busiest music nerd, and it's time for a review of this new Isaiah Rashad album, IT'S BEEN AWFUL.

Isaiah Rashad remains to be one of the most low-key artists on the legendary Top Dawg Entertainment label, and it's been five years since we have heard a full-length album from this Tennessee native, his last being The House Is Burning, an album that honestly underwhelmed me in so many ways. Because as much as I can sense the emotion and introspection that goes into a lot of Rashad's tracks, his subtle flows and dreamy production often do very little to grab my attention. Like, are his tracks listenable? Yes. But, to me, exciting? Not necessarily. As much as that opinion has rubbed people the wrong way in the past.

But when it comes to this new record here, the first thing that caught my eye was its title. Not only because, in a broad sense, things actually have been awful — there's no denying that — but the past several years have been kind of rocky for Rashad too, including a non-consensual leak of a private video of his that had many people across the internet questioning and ripping him apart over his sexuality. Something that he has since addressed, and to me and anyone normal, what this man does in his private life with other consenting adults is his business and his business only. But still, it's something you hate to see an artist have to go through.

So, true to its title, IT'S BEEN AWFUL is definitely a moody listen, as we're thrown immediately into these slow, syrupy rap beats and Rashad's half-sung, half-rapped, half-awake delivery, where he professes to crashing out, going crazy, having to keep himself under control. But from the sound of the music, you would never know that was the case, as this intro feels like the entire album is going to be like a non-stop melancholic dream state.

Now, after this, by contrast, the song "M.O.M." is a bit more expressive and surprisingly catchy, and stylistically feels more aligned with a lo-fi bedroom pop track as opposed to a straightforward hip-hop song. And while I do wish there was a moment where musically, instrumentally, it really kind of turned up, at least for a little bit, it's still easily one of the hookiest moments on the album.

Then, following this, "SAME SHIT" is this sleepy little southern head-nodder. And while I do think there is something to it, the flow, the production, I wish Rashad had more to say on it, as the bulk of the song seems to be taken up by this very lengthy extended chorus that is repeated twice. But even when he does give his pen a bit more room to stretch out, that's not a guarantee his delivery won't prevent the words from actually sticking, like on the song "SCARED 2 LOOK DOWN," for example. But I'm kind of getting ahead of myself.

The song "BOY IN RED" features SZA and brings the bedroom pop vibes back once again, but in this instance in a way that is just super duper bland. And this is already a genre that's known for its super easygoing, hard to define sound. I do think the youthful, shouty group vocals on the track are a cute touch though. And yeah, Rashad is really committing to this sound more than I thought he would, even with the song "M.O.M" turning out as decent as it did. 'Cause even on the track "SUPAFICIAL," hear him touch down on this sound once again, with some very simple, crispy drum parts moving super gently under these dreamy layers of guitars and keys, and now even some horns, which I think actually makes this track sound a little bit more distinct. The track overall is pretty wild. It's on and eventually moves into this faux radio break that, uh, it's one of a few of these on the record.

Another favorite on the record, I think, comes in the form of "HAPPY HOUR." Like, the impassioned vocal delivery and the classy piano loops on this track alone make it a highlight, as Rashad really does have an a decent singing voice when he digs into it.

But then I think we reach another level of emotional intensity on the track "DO I LOOK HIGH?" which is a super woozy piece of southern hip-hop that's all about kind of addiction and kicking drugs. Rashad's flow and delivery on this one are particularly locked in, and I just found the clarity of mind and heart he displays on this track to be really inspiring. In fact, I wish more of this album was this emotionally engaged.

That's not to say the commentary doesn't continue, though. On the following "AIN'T GIVIN' UP," Rashad contrasts the message on the previous song, essentially saying he's not giving up this high, as he dives immediately back into the smoke, the money, the material desires, the escapism, while also kind of like portraying these tendencies as being a destructive force in his life. So there is a back and forth, a push and pull. And then "GTKY," or "Get To Know You," is actually a really cute, endearing song about love that not only has really catchy, peppy beat to it, but I love Rashad's lyrical portrayal of how he feel about this other person were they to trade places and they were the famous one. He'd be a fan, wanna get an autograph, would drive hours to go see a show. Which, honestly, is some of the cutest shit I've heard in anyone's rap song this year.

However, the bedroom pop vibes return once again on the song "CAMERAS," which features Dominic Fike. And while I think Rashad's verses on this track are decent, the super overblown, hyper-layered chorus I feel like is just a little obnoxious and makes the whole long feel like I'm listening to Euphoria soundtrack music. Just really overly sentimental and kind of bitter to my ears.

But following this, "ACT NORMAL," I feel like, is a track that kind of has the most potential lost, as Rashad on this song starts to approach the topic of sex addiction and goes about it in a pretty progressive way. But not only do the bars on this track not dig as deep into this topic as they could, but once again we have a syrupy instrumental on this track that I think betrays the severity and seriousness of what this song is about, as it just kind of feels like while we are unraveling these difficult truths about coming to grips with your sexuality and difficult sexual experiences at a young age, the instrumental sounds like we are floating on a pink cotton candy cloud in the middle of space. Which, regardless of any ironic intent in that contrast, I feel like it pulls away from the impact of this topic.

As far as the final moments on this album are concerned, one of the only tracks that really stood out to me in a positive way was "SUPERPWRS," as that does showcase one of Rashad's better rap performances on the project. But then to end the album off with the "719 FREESTYLE," it's a kind of bewildering move in my opinion. I mean, not only because it's maybe a little too late to bring us this kind of lively southern hip-hop production and a flow that actually feels like more awake than most on this record, but the abrupt way with which this track ends too. It just feels like not a whole lot of planning went into the ending of this one per se, even even though there were more than enough very personal topics addressed across this record to, you know, make it worth tying them up thematically in some kind of way, which I just feel like this track fails to do. And with it being a track that runs a freestyle-type format, the record doesn't even leave us off with a super memorable hook or anthemic moment or anything like that.

So unfortunately, as much as I was hoping for this record to click with me in a way that Isaiah Rashad's past album didn't, I'm once again walking away from one of his projects just feeling very meh and on the fence. Pretty much the most even state that I could possibly imagine – this feeling of, "Yes, it's, it's fine." I could even see why other people might enjoy having it on just as a casual listen, but there's not really a whole lot here that would draw me back personally to this album as a whole. Which is why I'm feeling about a strong 5 to a light 6 on this one.

Anthony Fantano, Isaiah Rashad. Forever.