slowthai — UGLY — Album Review
Alternative | Rap | Punk
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
The world is ugly; that is the primary outlook that is explored on the third studio album from Northampton rapper slowthai.
I had discovered slowthai through some of the teaser track that marked the album cycle of slowthai’s debut record, titled Nothing Great About Britain, and released in 2019. The political lyrics and all-out sentimentality I felt for the record in general, led slowthai’s debut to be one of the most impactful projects of that entire year (and trust me, it was a very good year for music indeed). Nevertheless, it allowed me to become a very fast fan of slowthai.
Following the typical award show controversies, slowthai eventually brought us his sophomore album, TYRON, in 2021. As the title derived itself from slowthai’s birth name, the album rightfully gave listeners a much more introspective look into the mind and behind-the-scenes life of the artist, making it an album that one could clearly appreciate for that reason alone. however, TYRON had the tunes and the versatility to back it up perfectly.
With all of that taken into account, it’s easy to see why slowthai’s third album, UGLY, was one of my most highly anticipated albums of 2023. With said album initially tease for a late 2022 release, it’s safe to say that I am much more glad we have only received the album recently.
slowthai tackles an introspective narrative once again, similar to his mindset towards TYRON. However, UGLY has a markedly darker mood (one that compliments slowthai’s aesthetic perfectly). As the rapper directs this album more towards the sheer saturation of mental health issues in modern day society, slowthai really does paint a picture of the world in its most horrendous form.
One might think, at first listen, that slowthai is glorifying or condoning the idea of self-destruction on this album. However, that is far from the truth. On the contrary, the rapper turns his desire to defeat these feelings into sonic form. And with how engaging the artist truly is on this project, UGLY demands the attention of the listener, which is definitely important, given its subject matter.
Much like on TYRON, UGLY has a good mix of gritty bangers and more tender moments. However, this album places them in a much more mixed manner, as opposed to splitting it into two sides, like on TYRON. While bangers like “Selfish”, “Feel Good”, and “Wotz Funny” make for a fitting contrast to tracks like “25% Club”, and the heart-wrenching “Never Again”.
This third instalment definitely felt like the one in which slowthai dug the absolute deepest into his inner psyche, which is a place where not many artist are bold enough to go. Nevertheless, what came out of it was yet another brilliant project; one that proves that slowthai is still yet to release a project without ingenious pre-meditation and clarity towards its narrative.
Favourite Tracks: Selfish | Sooner | Feel Good | Never Again | Wotz Funny
Least Favourite Track: UGLY
Method Records
