Album Review: “american dream” By: 21 Savage
american dream | 
21 Savage |
Slaughter Gang/Epic Records |
GRADE: A+ |
Only a month after its release, 21 Savage’s third full-studio album, american dream, has reached global hip-hop charts and is trending on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. The album can be described as cohesive, unique, and immersive when listened to in order. It starts out with a spoken-word piece by his mother, outlining the artist’s roots from poverty and the sacrifices his mother made to give him a better chance at living the ‘American dream.’ This opening song sets the tone for the rest of the album, where 21 explores his childhood, upbringing, and overall transformation to where he is today.
21 Savage includes features of hot voices in today’s music scene such as Doja Cat, Young Thug, Summer Walker, Travis Scott, Brent Fiyaz, and more. He uses this album to communicate a story, and he uses the dynamic differences in each featured voice to help translate this. Some particularly standout songs include “prove it” with Summer Walker which uses a retro R&B beat that highlights 21’s old school flow and Walker’s succulent vocals. Another impressive song is “letter to my brudda” where we hear 21 talk through the emotional implications of serious betrayal of a friend, and how that changed him moving forward. The most trending song “redrum” is a catchy masterpiece that combines oldschool 21 Savage with his newfound R&B backdrop. The reverb behind the song is pleasing to the ear, and numerous parts of the song have reached trending status on various social media platforms.
Overall, this album is successful in being whatever the listener needs it to be. It has allowed fans a deeper understanding of 21 Savage’s journey, and the themes of poverty, love, and loss remain relevant in the industry. After two extremely successful album drops, 21 knew he needed to top himself for the third. Millions of fans, including myself, would agree that he did just that.
— Emma Marshall
