Stars: 4/5
“The Big Day” has surprised even the biggest fans of Chance The Rapper.
The long-awaited album from the rapper included 22 tracks with over 15 features.
While Chance’s last album “Coloring Book” included some of my favorite songs, I was extremely excited for this official album to drop. With the versatility and fresh style that Chance has showcased on his previous projects, I thought I had a slight idea of what to expect, but I was definitely wrong.
Many fans seemed to be surprised as well with this being Chance’s most unique project yet.
Songs like “Big Fish” and “Handsome” have the more classic Chance sound that fans are used to, but a large amount of the album is a new sound for the artist. This has fans conflicted and some plainly saying they don’t like the new album at all.
I listened to the album for the first time on a long drive home, and the experience was quite indescribable.  Everything from the skits to the large amount of collaborations made me question if I was crazy for being confused and not enjoying it as much as I thought I would.
To be honest, I wasn’t impressed the first time I listened to the album all the way through. There’s way too much going on in each song to process everything with just one listen. I’ve listened to it at least 3 times since then, and I still don’t think I’ve fully processed everything.
Chance didn’t reveal the artists featured on the tracks when the album came out to allow fans to be surprised when they first listened. Fans were excited to hear big names like DaBaby and Megan Thee Stallion featured on the album. Even Shawn Mendes is featured on a track, which was definitely a pleasant surprise for fans of both artists.
At first I thought the large number of features was a bit much, but, after really listening to each track, I think each artist adds something cool to the songs, which spices them up and makes them more fun. I also was frustrated with not knowing who was featured on each song at first, but when I heard some familiar voices I got super excited, and it made the experience more fun.
Death Cab for Cutie and Shawn Mendes are the last people I thought would collab with Chance, but, somehow, it works and sounds good.
The album opens with songs like “All Day Long” and “Eternal” that have major old-school vibes. “Let’s Go On the Run” and “Ballin Flossin” are two of my favorite tracks from the album because they also have that nostalgic sound.
“Slide Around” and “Hot Shower” are two of my favorites that remind me of some of Chance’s old music while still sounding new.
Overall, I think the album is good and gives fans songs that have more of a traditional sound for Chance like “Hot Shower,” while giving us songs with a new sound like “Zanies and Fools.”
I would definitely recommend listening to the album again if you didn’t love it the first time you listened. You’re bound to find a couple of songs you like, and, if you’re like me, you’ll love it even more than before.